Apprentices at work

At Gale and Phillipson, we recognise that apprentices can be an invaluable asset and bring a positive attitude to any company. We currently have 3 apprentices working at Gale and Phillipson. Our apprentices are Lydia Sunter (recently completed her apprenticeship), Emma Donaldson and Daniel Massheder.

We spent some time with them recently and asked them for their views and opinions on working towards their apprenticeships.

What is your job role at Gale and Phillipson?

L: Business Administration Apprentice.

E: My job role is Business Administration Apprentice, this entails;

• Scanning and saving documentation
• Learning the procedure for document management and retrieval
• Assisting with the preparation of review packs for client appointments
• Administration of our financial services documentation
• File Opening procedures
• File Closing Procedures

D: My role is Social Media and Digital Apprentice.

What apprenticeship are you studying towards?

L: Level 3 Business Administration

E: I am currently studying towards a Level 3 Business Admin Apprenticeship, a Level 2 ICT and a GCSE in Maths.

D: I am studying towards a level 3 apprenticeship in Digital Marketing.

What motivated you to partake in an apprenticeship?

L: I never liked the idea of going to university. Therefore, I decided to do an apprenticeship as you are still learning and gaining qualifications, whilst getting paid and gaining the actual skills of working, which you don’t always get at university. (As well as having no debt at the end of it all!).

E: Before doing my apprenticeship, I was in a job I hated and wanted a complete change. I looked on the Indeed website and came across this job. I read into being an apprentice, what it entails and it sounded like just what I wanted.

D: After finishing university, I considered getting a graduate position. However, most of these companies were asking for prior marketing experience or they were advertising graduate roles that didn’t require a degree. Therefore, I was motivated to do an apprenticeship because I would gain additional training and qualifications in a more specific area of marketing. I was also very interested in working in the financial industry.

How does an apprenticeship improve your skills and abilities?

L: Apprenticeships improve your skills as you’re actually putting the theory that you learn in college into practice and vice versa.

E: It improves your skills because you get in-house training and you learn whilst on the job. You learn different things every day, which keeps you motivated.

D: My apprenticeship has improved my skills and abilities because it has allowed me to be creative and open-minded when it comes to marketing Gale and Phillipson. This, coupled with my academy learning, has let me progress much quicker in my role than I would have otherwise.

What challenges do you face during your time at Gale and Phillipson?

L: The main challenge would be to make sure you apply the same level of attention to detail for your coursework as you would do for your day job, as sometimes it’s easy to spend less time on one area.

E: There are many challenges working here, learning new things, as well as meeting and fitting in with people.

D: I think the biggest challenge is keeping on top of the changes to the financial industry.

What have been the highlights of your apprenticeship so far?

L: Learning about new things and gaining confidence. As well as gaining a work family!

E: The highlights of my apprenticeship would be meeting new people, learning new things and becoming qualified at the end of it.

D: My highlight would be putting the theory and knowledge that I learn at the academy into a working marketing campaign. It is also amazing being able to see the results that these campaigns are generating.

What advice would you give to someone considering doing an apprenticeship?

L: To stick to it when you feel like giving up. It can be difficult to juggle work and coursework but it is really worth sticking with it for the learning and career opportunities it will open up for you.

E: My advice would be, don’t let your age put you off doing an apprenticeship. It’s not just for younger people, anyone can do one. If you are motivated and willing to learn you will succeed.

D: I would suggest keeping on top of your workload when it comes to the apprenticeship. The reason for this is that at the end of the year it will save you having a mad rush to compile all your work together, plus it will save you having to remember things from months ago.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?

L: I see myself carrying on learning and gaining more qualifications.

E: In 5 years’ time, I see myself still with Gale & Phillipson, but working up to a higher level, either an adviser or mortgage adviser.

D: To further progress my skills and experiences in digital marketing and create additional value to my workplace.