Welcome
Hi
My name is Aaron, I am 19 and I am an apprentice at Aurelia Training, based in Coventry To get straight into it, I am going to be blogging my perspective and experiences of being an apprentice, other useful information on apprenticeships and other areas too.
I had just finished my A levels, got myself a solid set of unexpected C’s, I honestly was not expecting to even pass. I had no clue on what to even do after this, with the summer holiday passing quick, I was pushed into searching for jobs or at least a way of making a living enough to enjoy money and pay my parents for accommodating me while transitioning from a child to an adult. I applied for this position at Aurelia as well as many other places looking for a source of both income and overall experience.
Shortly after excepting and having a friendly and informative introduction to the company, I began to understand and develop an idea of the ways of the working world. The step up from full time education to a sort of hybrid of work and learning that is an apprenticeship is certainly a jump, but with supportive peers and a healthy office environment, it can be just what you need to introduce you to the next stage of life.
I personally chose a customer service apprenticeship role, as I felt that people skills are not only my forte, but also one of the most important life skills an individual can learn. It has already given me skills to better communicate information to both peers and clients, increasing my overall productivity in the workplace.
My first week at Aurelia was very much a relaxed experience, I did not feel rushed into anything and was allowed time to get back into the routine of not having any responsibility during the long summer holiday. I was quickly shown my expectations and responsibilities and the most efficient ways to stick to them. Aurelia very shortly became a safe place for me, and somewhere that was a source of both encouragement and knowledge in the world of training and customer service.
The first major problem I encountered was that I was ill for a good week within the second month of working. This was a time when I missed out on working hours and had to work with my peers to ensure I could still operate as a part of the team from my own home, which is clearly very applicable in the current time too, due to the current pandemic situation. This issue was resolved by creating an organised system of which my work was delivered to me and the correct resources supplied.
My experience with Aurelia and apprenticeships so far is that they are a perfect balance of learning and working, whilst gaining both a source of income, and learning important life skills through application and experience to the working world.
Hopefully this first post is a helpful perspective and might shine a light on whether an apprenticeship is the correct route for you to go down.
Aaron