Leaving school can be a daunting time for anyone. Not always knowing what career you would like to pursue. Sometimes having the choice between staying in education and learning through a college/university course or getting a job can seem like the only two options available.

I left school with the intention to go to college and gain a qualification, meanwhile I was having to work part-time at night and weekends to fund my finances. However, I found life was busy and often stressful trying to juggle college, placement, studying and work. After completing one year of the college course I personally decided this wasn’t what I wanted to do.

It was time for a change - I started researching different career options and hearing feedback from people who had been given the opportunity of a modern apprenticeship, I found QA Apprenticeships. Looking through the website there were many career options within various different industries.  I wanted to try something completely new to me and applied to the Digital Applications course. After an initial interview at QA, they supported and helped me to find job vacancies which were relevant and of interest to me.

Before long I had been invited to an interview at TC Young. This was the perfect opportunity for me as I could learn new skills, gain my qualification and receive first-hand experience of working in an office environment alongside a variety of people with different job positions and responsibilities. I was able to leave my part-time job and concentrate on my future career.

I have now been working at TC Young for four years, within this time I have completed my Digital Applications Level 6 qualification. I have worked in a number of departments throughout the firm to increase my understanding of TC Young. From day one I have been gratefully supported by my colleagues to help me gain the relevant skills and knowledge I need in order to successfully carry out my role (for example: answering calls on reception, interacting with clients, giving support with IT and creating Microsoft documents to collate data etc.). Working closely with others has benefited me by helping to understand a range of roles, increase my knowledge of work, and improve my confidence and social skills, all of which have played a massive part in progressing me to where I am today. Although I have completed my apprenticeship, I enjoy facing challenges and learning new things - TC Young continue to offer available training to support and allow me to gain further qualifications.

I would strongly advise anyone who is unsure what to do when leaving school or uncertain which career they are interested in to have a look at modern apprenticeships. They are perfect for gaining the appropriate skills and experience you need for starting out in the world of work, as well as obtaining qualifications to carry your career forward.