Thinking of doing an apprenticeship? Here's a little insight into what it has meant for our two apprentices in Bristol, Grace and Cerys.
Grace’s Morning
During my second year of Sixth Form, I decided an apprenticeship route was the one I wanted to take following on from my A levels. I felt that an apprenticeship would allow me to learn more through real-life experiences than University course would. I am currently halfway through my Business Administration apprenticeship at LEBC and really enjoying learning about a business’s internal processes and the financial industry as a whole. My apprenticeship at LEBC has helped me to develop my skills such as communication, problem-solving and adaptability which can be transferred into my personal life as well. Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, I am part of a skeleton team in the office and wanted to share my version of what a morning as an apprentice could look like.
- 9AM - I start work at 9am and I usually have an hour to catch up on work before the post comes in. The first thing I do is check my calendar to see if I have any meetings scheduled. I also look over my emails to see if there is anything that requires immediate attention. I check if we have received any voicemails from clients, which I listen to and ensure they get forwarded to the relevant colleague.
- 10AM - By 10am, the post has usually arrived. Due to the pandemic and home working, the Bristol office has become a hub for letters to be sent out and post from other branches to be delivered. Cerys and I sort the post into each branch tray. We then open and date each letter ready to be scanned.
- 11AM - Around 11am we begin scanning. We scan each branch’s letters to a shared drive so our colleagues working from home can easily access it.
- 12PM - At midday we have our lunch break. Cerys and I go for a walk or visit the service station for lunch to have a break from our desk, before setting up for the afternoon ahead.
Cerys’ Afternoon
- 1PM - Following on from lunch, Grace and I begin the afternoon by dealing or responding to any personal emails as well as branch voicemails that we may have received throughout the morning. Once any queries have been dealt with, we begin completing central printing requests in which we receive from colleagues based across different branches. As Bristol is the hub for printing, it is our joint responsibility to ensure meeting packs are sent out to clients and original forms/ documentations are sent to providers on time.
- 2PM - Occasionally, myself and Grace have a project that takes up part of our afternoon, in between our typical daily tasks. We currently have a project that involves arranging paperwork that has been delivered from various branches, into specific categories based on dates.
- 3PM - At around 3pm, Grace and I catch up with any central printing requests received, in order to meet the 4pm post collection deadline. An additional step to ensure the post is ready for collection is franking. We use a franking machine to stamp post according to the delivery option provided by our colleagues e.g. 1st class, 2nd class and recorded or guaranteed delivery.
- 4PM - Once the post has been collected at 4pm, myself and Grace are granted downtime to complete our college work for our Business Administration course. This involves writing essays, updating our time log as well as any general tasks set by our training provider.
- 5PM - Home time! Grace and I finish our day by making a note of any tasks we are to complete the following morning. Before leaving, we also make sure to complete a quick tidy of our desk area and ensure all paperwork is filed away securely.
My apprenticeship at LEBC has given me an insight into the processes involved within a financial services industry as well as the possible career paths available. On a personal level, the apprenticeship has also helped me to develop my communication and organisation skills. Having completed my AS levels, I am confident in my decision to finish Sixth form early, achieving a qualification of a similar level whilst gaining practical experience. Overall, I highly recommend an Apprenticeship to any individuals looking to gain a qualification in an industry of interest whilst earning a wage.