Apprenticeships and Traineeships can often be confusing to understand, so we sat down with Sophie who is the new Apprenticeship/Traineeship Recruitment Advisor for Weston College.

Sophie went through both a Traineeship and Apprenticeship on her way to this exciting new position so she knows all of the ins and outs of both programmes. We asked her a few questions about her experience.

Who are you and what is your job role?

My name is Sophie Adams and I am the new Apprenticeship/Traineeship Recruitment Advisor for Weston College.

Why did you decide to do a traineeship?

I decided to do a Traineeship as I wanted to gain my Maths qualification and further develop employability skills to be more employable to employers. Long term I wanted to do an apprenticeship, but I felt like I wasn’t being noticed when applying for Apprenticeships as I lacked experience and struggled with interviews and application forms. The Traineeship helped me get noticed and supported me with ensuring I had the right skills, knowledge and experience in order to be successful with my next career step.

What did you progress on to?

I progressed onto a Level 2 Business Administration Apprenticeship with Weston College after completing three weeks of work experience.

What did you learn on your apprenticeship and how are you using those skills now?

I chose to do a Business Admin Apprenticeship as the skills I would be learning were really transferrable. Most jobs require the skills that I learnt on my Apprenticeship, and this opened up more options for me for after I completed my apprenticeship and gained employment.

I learnt to build my soft skills which included time management, teamwork, communication, positive thinking and self-motivation. I use this in my day-to-day life and in my current role as a Recruitment Advisor.

As well as building my soft skills I also further developed my hard skills which were more job related skills, this included Computer skills, Microsoft Office skills, public speaking, writing skills and technical skills all of which I use in my current role.

How has your apprenticeship helped you to develop into the role you’re in now?

An apprenticeship is an amazing opportunity for you to learn new things and get straight out into the world of work, all whilst gaining a nationally recognised qualification! Doing an apprenticeship is also the perfect alternative to university or college if you feel as though these options aren’t quite right for you.

An apprenticeship benefited my career massively and gave me a foot in the door with an outstanding employer. This has developed from me being an apprentice to a support worker and now my current role. Without doing a Traineeship or an apprenticeship I would still lack skills and experience to be able to secure employment with a company and progress within one too.

What is your current role and what support do you offer?

My role is to manage Traineeship referrals and ensure learners are supported onto the Traineeship and are ready to start. I also attend events and manage traineeship vacancies.

Why should people get in touch and access support?

Traineeships are fully funded and for anyone aged 16-24 or 25 with an Education and Health Care Plan. The future depends on what you do today so if you are unsure of what to do with your career but want to gain employment or start an apprenticeship or even get back into education then a Traineeship is perfect for you.

What would you say to someone considering a traineeship or apprenticeship?

Looking back, I’m so glad I did a traineeship, and I would recommend this to anyone who needs that little extra support or are unsure of their next steps and what their future holds. Traineeships put me on the right path for success and I am so glad I decided on this route for my career.

How can anyone get in touch with you and your team?

If you are interested in a Traineeship or would like to discuss this further please send an email to traineeship.enquiries@weston.ac.uk and I will be in touch.

Thanks so much to Sophie for speaking to us about her experience going through a traineeship and apprenticeship, clearly it’s been a great experience! We know she’ll do great in her new role and help plenty of future trainees!