The 13th annual National Apprenticeship Week (3 – 9 February) is a weeklong celebration of apprenticeships and is a time to recognise and applaud apprenticeship success stories across the country.
Automation Engineering Apprentice Nicola Elliott, who works at Amazon’s Bolton fulfilment centre, is encouraging students or those looking for a change of career to consider an apprenticeship. She is hoping that she can inspire the next wave of apprentices to apply for their dream positions and offers some words of wisdom for anyone thinking about applying for an apprenticeship.
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Nicola said: “Apprenticeship programmes like the one I’m doing at Amazon are fantastic for anyone who wants to continue learning, training or change career and don’t want to go to university or college to do so. The Amazon Apprenticeship programme is perfect for anyone aged 18+ (with no age limit) who either has GCSEs, A-levels or good life experience. You’ll have the opportunity to get paid while you learn and the hands-on experience is second to none.”
Here are Nicola’s top tips for budding apprentices to find the perfect role:
1. Do your homework
It sounds obvious but research the type of apprenticeship you want. Do you want something engineering based? Or is IT more your thing? By understanding what sort of role you really want, you’ll be able to identify the perfect apprenticeship to help you achieve your ambitions.
2. Pick a company that matches your ambitions
I wanted to work with the best people, the best technology and the best equipment, so I chose Amazon. Choosing a leading company in your industry will give you unrivalled exposure and opportunities.
3. Throw yourself into it
When it’s time to leave the classroom and start the practical side of the apprenticeship, make friends, ask questions and really become part of the team. The people here are accommodating with their time and they’re also super helpful. But best of all, they’re great fun. The fun nature of the team helped me settle quickly and was a key factor in helping me learn the ropes.
4. Watch and learn
You really can learn a lot by paying attention to everyone around you. I feel that the way some of my mentors conduct themselves teaches me so much and sets a standard for how I want to work myself. I find their way of doing things a real inspiration and that helps me learn the basics of the role quickly. You’re learning from the best in the business while getting paid – what’s better than that?
5. Organise your time
The combination of learning in a classroom and working in a real-life setting is brilliant, but it does require some forward planning. Remember that everything you do on an apprenticeship is important and you must learn quickly how to balance your time so you’re putting the time into the theory as well as the practice. There are lots of time management tools available online that can help you to prioritise your classroom and work schedule.
Once the apprentices are fully qualified, they will have the opportunity to work in one of our buildings across the UK including fulfilment centres, delivery stations, sortation centres and our corporate offices.
Amazon’s Apprenticeship schemes are designed to suit candidates with a range of experience, from those with life skills to school leavers who are 18+ with GCSEs or A-levels.
If you are interested in finding out more information about our apprenticeship programme please visit Amazon Jobs.
Roles will be advertised on the website in early March 2020.
