I am forever grateful for this apprenticeship opportunity
Apprentice Alice says she is so proud to have been employed by the workplace where she studied.
Alice Parkinson, 18, says her ‘proudest moment’ about achieving her Level 2 in Apprenticeship is actually “lots of proudest achievements, the main one being employed on at my work place once my apprenticeship had ended.
“Another proud achievement was seeing my bond, confidence and knowledge grow over time within myself and the service users I support.”
Last year Alice was a Level 2 Apprentice support worker for adults with learning disabilities.
She says: “I always knew I wanted to be in a career where caring for others was involved. I attended an apprenticeship fair and came across this apprenticeship. It ticked all the boxes I knew I wanted and knew I could be.”
Alice wasn’t interested in going to university but knew she wanted to carry on in some level of education and an apprenticeship was a perfect choice for that.
It has already helped her progress at work: “My apprenticeship has already helped me progress in my career. I am now a Band 3 support worker. I have my Level 2 certificate. I am hoping I can start my Level 3 so that I can progress even higher.
“It gave me a lot of insight of what it’s like to be a support worker and the ins and out of the role. I am forever grateful to have been given this opportunity, it taught me what I wanted to do in life and made me who I am today.”
She talks positively about the impact of the pandemic on her year: “At first I found it quite hard to get used to such big changes. However, we all put the service users first and tried to make it as enjoyable as possible. We planned lots of activities, walks, themed nights etc.
“We are a lot more of aware of our surroundings and keeping the service users as safe as possible by wearing our full PPE and cleanliness, but still having fun and making it a happy environment for the service users.”
And what would she say to anyone considering an apprenticeship
“I’d say 100% go for it, it’s at least a year of your life where you’re learning, finding yourself, and finding a path you want to progress