Jamie- Apprentice at Tameside Council

Hi, I'm Jamie and I work at Tameside Council as an Apprentice and I am doing an NVQ Level 2 in Business Administration. My main tasks are to produce a weekly bulletin which is sent to a variety of community groups in Tameside.  It is a great way to network and it lets out my creative side. The other tasks I do are collating information for monthly stats and income reports which is a responsible task and it boosts my confidence knowing I'm trusted to complete important documents. I also do other administrative duties.

I joined the Apprentice Scheme relatively late, at the age of 22. After leaving school I completed my A-levels and worked at smaller organisations but struggled to find the next level due to not having gone to university to get a degree, and my A levels were all quite generic. The apprentice role that was offered solved both problems; it gave me the opportunity to work for a larger organisation whilst gaining a qualification.

My favourite part of the course is meeting different apprentices who are doing the same course who are at different stages of completing.  Its good knowing you’re not the only one and if you’re struggling with a particular aspect of your course who better to ask for help than someone who’s already done it?

I  was always under the impression that apprentices were for school or college leavers but it’s great for people over 21 who have come to a bit of a junction career wise.  My advice for anyone looking to do an apprenticeship would be, if you’ve had a full time job in the past but want to better yourself, don’t be afraid to take a step back in the short term to further your long term career.  If you do decide to become an apprentice, my advice would be to make sure you have a good work/study balance, try and pick up any additional training that’s offered by your employer and stand out.

My future plans are to hopefully get a permanent role within Tameside Council and try and build my way up as far as I can go, ideally within a service or team that helps the community.

Jamie’s manager said: “Being an Apprentice allows Jamie to learn and develop new skills in the workplace and use them on a daily basis.  He fulfils his administrative tasks well and is a quick learner.  He is gaining valuable experience and uses his initiative when performing tasks.    He has responded well to working in an office environment and is growing in confidence.  Being an Apprentice is a great opportunity for Jamie to apply his learning and work towards a goal.”