We have interviewed some of our apprentices to see how they are getting on, and give some insight into what an apprenticeship at CLC is like.
During National Apprentice week we interviewed a handful of our apprentices from across the company to see how their time at CLC Group has progressed and to get an insight into a day in their lives and what benefits their apprenticeship has given them.
Hannah – IT Apprentice
We interviewed our IT Technician Apprentice, Hannah, who has just finished her apprenticeship with us and received a distinction. Hannah has been a vital member of the IT department since she arrived, helping to resolve IT tickets across the company, setting up users and teaching all of the team how to use certain devices.
We asked Hannah some questions to find out about her future plans, and see what she thinks the benefits of the apprenticeship has given her.
Q: When are you due to finish your apprenticeship?
A: I have just finished my course this February and received a Distinction!
Q: What are your plans now you have finished?
A: I would like to stay here at CLC and continue to progress my skills.
Q: How do you think your apprenticeship has benefitted you? Either professionally or personally.
A: The apprenticeship has personally benefitted me by giving me a lot more confidence, especially with conversations in professional and non-professional environments.
Q: Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship? In general, and why did you choose CLC Group?
A: I knew I didn’t want to go to university after college, but I didn’t feel ready to throw myself into work – so an apprenticeship seemed like a happy medium. When I began to look for apprenticeships, the one here at CLC seemed perfect for me so I grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
Q: Do you feel like you have enough support during your role?
A: Definitely, even outside my department, everyone throughout CCL has been supportive and I know I can go to anyone for help.
Q: Would you recommend an apprenticeship to family and friends?
A: Already have, I had told my brother of my personal experience and he has been applying for them himself. But I definitely recommend them as you get both the experience of working on the job as well as the learning elements to help expand your knowledge of the area you are working in.
John – Joinery Apprentice
Another one of our apprentices John, is completing a Joiner apprenticeship at our Warrington branch. John has given us an insight into his experience at CLC and his plans, in the hope to encourage others to apply for an apprenticeship. John is a valuable member of our team in Warrington and recently received a runner up award for National Apprentice of the Year from the National Apprenticeship Awards! Due to finish his apprenticeship in March, John is set to become a permanent member of the team and will undertake a Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS) course in the summer to further his skills and help pave the way in becoming a Site Manager.
We asked John some questions to give some insight into a Joinery apprenticeship:
Q: What part of your role do you find the most challenging?
A: I find juggling my time the most difficult part, it is all part of learning and building skills but deciding what things take priority on jobs and how long things take is definitely one of the things I am trying to manage better.
Q: Why did you choose CLC to complete your apprenticeship?
A: I knew that CLC was a reputable company with some variety in roles, I had been recommended by a lot of friends and told me that the learning and access to resource was great.
Q: What are your plans for when you finish your course?
A: I am due to finish my apprenticeship in March 2023, after this I would like to do an SMSTS course to train to be a site manager and get more experience with other tools. I would love to be in a position where in 5-10 years I could migrate into the office.
Q: What has been the best part of your role at CLC?
A: The managers giving you so much freedom and allowing you to make your own choices and use your initiative. There is so much resource and access to materials which means you get to learn more in more detail.
Q: Do you feel CLC have given you enough support during your apprenticeship?
A: There is 100% enough support, whenever I need flexibility to be focusing on my coursework and the college side of the apprenticeship, everyone is understanding and supportive and gives me full mentorship.
Q: Would you recommend an apprenticeship for anyone deciding whether to do one?
A: An apprenticeship is the best route for trade work, it is great to start when you are young to gather the skills and begin the path to your career.
Chloe – Business Administration Apprentice
Business Administrator Apprentice, Chloe based in Walsall has just completed her Business Administrator course with us and receiving a Distinction! Chloe’s Assessor said she was really impressed with the detail and diligence she has shown throughout the course.
Q: What made you want to do an apprenticeship? And why did you choose CLC?
A: The most efficient way for me to learn is by getting Hands on Experience which is exactly what an apprenticeship is. My apprenticeship has given me the opportunity to reach my full potential with my qualification through experiencing day to day Administration duties. When looking for a new job role back in Late 2021, I was looking for a company who was inclusive, team-oriented and held an outstanding reputation, to which CLC ticked all these boxes. Therefore, when this opportunity came up, I had to jump at the opportunity, and I have not looked back since. This job role has given me the most amazing opportunities and has allowed me to gain a broad range of skills but also gain a lot of my confidence back.
Q: What are your plans for when you finish your apprenticeship?
A: I have now completed my apprenticeship with a 2 Distinctions and 1 Pass, with an overall grade of a Pass. I am extremely grateful that CLC have now decided to employ me as an Administrator and I now plan to carry out research to find the next suitable course to further develop my knowledge/skills with the hope to take on more responsibilities in the future at CLC.
Q: Would you recommend an apprenticeship to family and friends?
A: I would strongly recommend an apprenticeship to all family and friends as I believe it is a great start to anyone’s career. Although apprenticeships allow you to gain a qualification whilst getting paid, I strongly believe they can help a young person to gain a lot of confidence within themselves.
Q: Do you feel like CLC have given you enough support during your course?
A: I can confirm that CLC have given me the greatest support I could have ever imagined having. I strongly agree that I couldn’t have achieved the grades that I did without all the support I have received from the CLC Team.
Q: How do you think your apprenticeship has benefitted you? Professionally and personally.
A: Professionally, I believe my apprenticeship has been an exciting option for me to get hands on experience within an Administration Job Role and has allowed me to gain confidence with taking on new challenges. Personally, I believe my apprenticeship has allowed me to gain a lot of my confidence back which I had lost in previous job roles and it has also allowed me to regain a good Work-Life Balance.
Q: What is the most challenging part of your role?
A: Every day is different within Administration and that is what I love about this role. However, within my first 6 months of my apprenticeship, I was faced with the challenge of creating a Stock Inventory Sheet using excel. At the time of being given this challenge, I found it quite daunting as I only knew the basics of excel. Nevertheless, I do still face a lot of challenges with excel, but fast forward 6 months with the full support of our team at CLC, I now have an amazing set of skills within Excel and are able to take on most challenges with Excel.