James Turrell: Business Admin Apprentice, Bury Council

The reason I took an apprenticeship is because I was at a dead end in my old job. I had good hours, good pay and an average work-life balance, I needed a change and I needed a new challenge. When I saw the apprenticeships with the Council advertised I spoke to my cousin, who was an apprentice here already, to find out if he would recommend it. My cousin spoke highly about the organisation as he explained it wasn’t just the apprenticeship you were applying for, it was all the knowledge and skills that came with it that opened up a number of opportunities and careers after it. This is what I needed, a new challenge with endless possibilities to careers.

I would completely recommend an apprenticeship to anyone applying. I found myself in a situation where I was in a comfortable job with good pay which sounds great but it failed to challenge me so I began to lack motivation. I took a leap of faith and applied for a job that only granted me 2 year’s work but I am confident I will pick up so much information that I will be valuable to the organisation and to apply for another job within it or take all the experience and knowledge and apply it elsewhere.

The apprenticeship itself requires a 37 hour week within Monday to Friday meaning you get evenings and weekends off which really benefits your own personal life outside work and gives you the best example work-life balance. As an apprentice people assume you brew up and staple documents but it is so much more than that! You can get a sense of belonging and feel like a real part of the team being given important roles that are vital to the day to day workings of the office, you are not treated any differently to another member of staff who is on a higher pay grade made me feel valued in my new role. To anyone considering applying don’t be put off by the fact that you have little too no experience or knowledge about what it is you are applying to do because before starting I had no experience of office working, I was a complete stranger to the work that the local government did but that was the chance I took and I am so proud that I did it.

Apprenticeship Case Studies