The Benefits of an Apprenticeship: PSI Global Success Stories

Apprenticeship Week takes place from 7-13 February 2022 and is a time to discover the benefits of an apprenticeship. While our current apprentices are already seeing the benefits, PSI Global has several team members who started their careers as an apprentice and are thriving in their careers.

Choosing an Apprenticeship

For many, the choice to go the apprenticeship route as opposed to going to university is an easy one. Not knowing what they wanted to study, many of our former apprentices felt that taking on an apprenticeship was a better option for them that would help to give them actual work experience.

“When I left school I didn’t really know what I wanted to do and never really fancied going to university to do something I wasn’t sure about,” said Divisional Manager Rebecca Law who started her apprenticeship in 2013. “I picked up a few casual jobs and then after a couple of years decided to look for full-time work. I then came across the apprenticeship website and liked the idea of working and getting a qualification at the same time.”

Operations Manager Sarah Ainsworth had a similar experience with her apprenticeship, which also started in 2013. Not knowing what she wanted to do after her A-Levels, she tried out some roles in administration, retail, and customer services before going for an apprenticeship to help her “get onto some sort of career path going forward. I started as an admin apprentice looking after the payroll and compliance process in my first recruitment job.”

Thomas Spike just recently ended his apprenticeship with PSI Global and is now working as a Recruitment Resourcer in our Construction team. But his apprenticeship with PSI Global wasn’t his first start in the scheme. “I started as an apprentice in June 2016, however halfway through my apprenticeship, I had a discussion with my manager and we both decided I was working above the apprenticeship level. That part of the scheme was scrapped, and I then moved up to a resource/account manager,” he explained.

Tom eventually put his recruitment career on hold to study for his CIPD Level 3 but found that getting back into an apprenticeship scheme would help him to get his career back on track. “I used the apprenticeship position as a way back into the recruitment sector, where I could enter as an apprentice and prove that I can work my way up.” Getting back into an apprenticeship was certainly an advantage for Tom as he soon ended up in the current full-time position he has now.

The Apprenticeship Advantage

Taking on an apprenticeship early in their careers helped Rebecca and Sarah reach their career goals within the recruitment industry.

Rebecca acknowledged that having an apprenticeship in recruitment helped her learn more about business in general and understand how different departments and functions work together. “It allowed me to learn different roles across recruitment and gave me a great understanding of the work that goes into each area.” She shared that this has also helped in her current role as a manager, making her more understanding of where the apprentices in her team are now in their process and what they may need or want to learn.

Doing an apprenticeship instead of going straight to university helped Sarah progress to completing a degree in Business and HR Management. “With the combination of experience and qualifications, I was then able to complete a part-time degree alongside working full-time,” she explained. “This supported the pathway I was on, progressing from Apprentice Sales Support through to Senior Sales Support before I moved to PSI Global and took another step up to Executive Administrator and now the Operations Manager.”

Rebecca echoed this, sharing that being able to work and get qualifications at the same time were the biggest benefits for her.

Joining an apprenticeship programme also has a number of advantages for businesses. Business Development Director Lee Austin shared that bringing in apprentices allows them to find an area that suits them rather than just one role.

“It allows us to discover what further skillsets they have and if there’s another part of the business they might thrive in,” Lee explained. “This way they don’t just have one role as a regular hire would but get to learn about a number of roles to give them a choice in what they gravitate towards for their future career.”

Expert Advice

All of our former apprentices found their apprenticeship to be a positive start to their career, and something they think every student should consider.

“For anyone like me who didn’t find university appealing or wasn’t sure what they wanted to do, it gives you an opportunity to work and still learn on the job,” explained Rebecca.

Tom found his apprenticeship experiences to be a great option to learn and develop on the job as well. “Apprenticeships are a great way to get into a sector as you and your employer fully recognise that you will be learning as you work, which will help you develop your skills.”

Doing an apprenticeship gives you an added advantage when applying for jobs throughout your career. Sarah explained further that, “you not only have the qualifications, but you have the work experience to go with it.” She found the experience to be valuable, learning a lot not just about the job itself but what is expected of you in the workplace.

Considering an apprenticeship for yourself? Keen to learn more about the benefits of an apprenticeship? Leave a comment on our social media channels with any questions you have, and our expert former apprentices will answer!