Apprenticeships provide the opportunity to learn and develop your career at any stage. Offering structured education and hands-on learning, as well as a wage, an apprenticeship is a perfect option for progression into a new line of work.
As a Responsible Business, we celebrate the positive impact of apprenticeships, both social and economic, and they are fully integrated into our strategy and objectives.
For National Apprenticeship Week, we interviewed several of our apprentices to learn more about what makes embarking on an apprenticeship such a valuable experience. Today, we are talking to Michelle about her role as a Business Administration Apprentice here at Kenny Waste Management.
Michelle started with us in September last year, having previously worked at a local bingo hall. Her training is set to conclude next year, and she has already proven to be an invaluable part of the team in our Commercial Waste division.
Why did you decide to do an apprenticeship?
“I really wanted to work in an office, but I didn’t have much experience. I want to show my little girl that you can work hard and achieve in something new at any stage in life. This role gave me a perfect opportunity to get familiar with office working.”
What usually takes up most of your day?
“Writing up contracts and assisting with risk assessments takes up a lot of time. I’m also responsible for processing the contact details on our system.”
What has surprised you about the role?
“I didn’t expect the level of responsibility. The company is growing fast, so there’s a lot of places to put the skills I’m learning into practice.”
What have you learned about yourself during your apprenticeship?
“I can multitask more than I thought I could. Now I can focus on many different things at once and prioritise into an order, even when every task seems just as important.”
Can you tell us about something valuable that you’ve learned during the apprenticeship?
“I’ve enjoyed my on-the-job learning the most. That includes the admin skills, those risk assessments, setting up payments, lots of skills really. What stands out to me the most is my computer skills are definitely a lot sharper since starting here.”
How do you take your coffee?
“Milky and two sugars.”
What do you enjoy most about the job?
“The staff. Everyone is so friendly and helpful. Anyone will help if I ask.”
What’s the most difficult part of the job?
“Grammar and punctuation can be a bit challenging sometimes. I’m always double-checking emails.”
How do you balance work, life, and learning?
“You have to figure out a way to put that time aside for learning. I’m lucky to have a team who understand, especially my manager Meghann.”
What advice would you give to someone interested in working as an apprentice?
“Just go for it because you never know what kind of opportunity it’s going to be. Make sure to keep organised and ask lots of questions.”
Keep an eye on our LinkedIn page for more Apprentice Week interviews celebrating opportunities for earning while learning.
