National Apprenticeship Week kicks off on Monday 7 February 2022.
Here at SPS, we are proud of our own apprentices who embody this year’s theme Build the Future.
To celebrate and mark the occasion, we spoke to our own team of apprentices to find out why they chose to do an apprenticeship and how they hope it will help shape their future. Take a moment to read their stories.
Courtney Cook
Business Administration Apprentice
Why did you want to do an apprenticeship?
Because it’s a great opportunity to be within a role you want to do, whilst also learning as you go. Without being based in a classroom, you will receive a qualification and experience at the same time.
Why did you choose SPS?
It’s a great place to work up and be where I want to be, whilst also learning.
What did you do before your apprenticeship at SPS?
Before my apprenticeship I worked at Starbucks, which was great, but I didn’t think there would be much of a career by staying there. I want to better myself and SPS is a great way to do so.
What has been the highlight so far of your apprenticeship at SPS?
My highlight of my apprenticeship so far will be all the staff I work alongside, everyday is different and that’s what makes the role interesting. I feel like you are pushed out of your comfort zone which is what you need to progress. For example, I dont like presentations, yet with help from my team I am now overcoming my fear of having to do them which is a massive step for me.
How do you think the apprenticeship will help you in the future?
It isn’t just helping me gain my knowledge and experience of HR but it’s also preparing me for life outside of work e.g., confidence when socialising, pushing myself to get the goal I want to achieve.
Josh Tobin
Business Administration Apprentice
Why did you want to do an apprenticeship?
I picked the apprenticeship route primarily to jump into an industry and career path as soon as possible. I hated the thought of being stuck in college for two additional years followed by three at university; racking up debt and gaining no experience.
Although there is college work alongside the apprenticeship, it is primarily work based meaning I gain experience and can learn off of established members of the SPS Team & develop my own skills.
Why did you choose SPS?
When scrolling through the government website for apprenticeships the SPS job really caught my eye, I had a real interest in logistics and wanted to join a business that was making a real impact not just regionally but nationally by aiding the construction of HPC.
What did you do before your apprenticeship at SPS?
In 2020 I was still in the last year of secondary school, in March all schools were closed which meant an extended summer and predicted grades. I started a part time job at B&M stacking shelves where I worked through to September where I then joined the SPS Team.
What has been the highlight so far of your apprenticeship at SPS?
There has been too many to pick… It has to be meeting and working alongside some truly amazing people, daily I am learning and picking up on their approaches to problems, questions and praise which has simply been eye opening. From frustrations to laughs the team really knows how to pick up and react when called upon and I think it is that daily fast pace that I enjoy the most.
How do you think the apprenticeship will help you in the future?
I think the apprenticeship will help me develop my own personal skills that will not only help me in the workplace but also in life. Since joining SPS I have grown my confidence but also become more self-aware knowing that for a business to run smoothly all the cogs have to be turning at the same pace.
Max Coombes
Vehicle Parts Apprentice (completed 2021)
What apprenticeship did you do?
Level 3 Vehicle Parts with Skillnet (City & Guilds)
What did you most enjoy about your apprenticeship?
I enjoyed the fact that no two days were the same, there is always something different to do.
How do you think the apprenticeship will help you in the future?
For the future, it has already given me a better understanding on how the vehicles work and what makes them work.
I came straight out of college when I started here three years ago. I had a basic knowledge of how buses and coaches work.
But the apprenticeship really boosted my knowledge of vehicle parts, not just with buses and coaches, but with other types of commercial vehicles.
Apprenticeships at SPS
Our apprenticeship programme is hugely successful and our apprentices play a very important role at SPS.
We are committed to our aim of leaving a lasting legacy by providing training and employment opportunities in our local community.
Working with Bridgwater & Taunton College and EDF, we fully support our apprentices to build their careers by advancing their skills and professional learning and giving them the inspiration to make a big difference.
We offer a range of apprenticeships from support roles, to driving to managerial. With commitment and hard work, the sky really is the limit.
For any enquiries about this article, please email emma.warr@somersetpassengersolutions.co.uk.