As part of National Apprentice Week, we’d like to introduce you to Tom, one of our Apprentices. In his final year of a four-year Chartered Management degree, Tom works for the Ellis Recruitment Group permanent Oracle recruitment brand Talenterprize. Tom joined the Ellis Recruitment Group and the apprenticeship program straight from college while working in the retail sector as a sales assistant. In his spare time, he enjoys sports and socialising. When we’re not in lockdown, you can find Tom most mornings in the gym before work and enjoying playing football and being out with friends at the weekend.
Why did you start the Apprenticeship program?
Having visited multiple universities while going through the UCAS process, I came across an advert for a degree apprenticeship with Talenterprize (part of the Ellis Recruitment Group). Having never heard of the initiative before I researched further and found it highly beneficial, you come out with a BA Hons degree and gain valuable work experience and no debt upon completion. The opportunity presented was perfect. It was local, offered a career in a highly rewarding and growing industry and the course on offer was the same course I would have taken if I went to university full time.
What are you enjoying most in the Apprenticeship program?
There are lots of things:
- Learning and developing a new skill set that will set me up for life.
- Meeting new people and making good friends in the process.
- Working in a highly successful organisation which looks after and rewards its employees.
- Completing a degree that requires a wide range of understanding across multiple areas such as HR, accounting, and project management helps me identify my specialism and the direction I want to take my degree.
What key learnings do you know now that you didn’t before?
Work-life balance is essential, trying to manage university work, and a fast-paced day job is tricky.
The amount of time you have to devote to studying to help achieve the grade you want takes multiple hours per week outside of lecture time.
It’s essential that you also schedule time to do things you enjoy
What obstacles have you come across, and how have you conquered them?
Working my way through modules such as management accounting – Maths isn’t my strong point and required work to help pass the assignment.
Having to adapt to a changing team – Since I started at Talenterprize in Sep 2017, the whole team around me has grown. I have had to flex my style and learn how to work in different ways with individuals.
Has Covid-19 affected the program?
Covid-19 has had an impact. I returned back from furlough early and wanted to hit the ground running. The excellent “Recruitment Juice” training we received during furlough to upskill employees aided my return.
At university, I get good support from lecturers and support staff when needed; they are on hand to email or call whenever required. Covid-19 has created the challenge of completing my final year dissertation remotely. My project has had to be adapted.
Once complete, what qualifications will have and what you’ll be able to do with them?
Full BA Honours in Chartered Management. Plus the opportunity to become a member of the Chartered Management Association (CMA). The CMA is the highly recognised accreditation for management professionals, coupled with a management degree; it will stand me in good stead for future career progression. It will enable me to help manage teams in the future and give me the skills to use my whole working life.
Why should someone reading this start one of the Ellis Recruitment Groups training programs?
Completing an Apprenticeship program offers you a competitive advantage as you have the same degree as others, yet you will also have years of valuable work experience under your belt. No debt either, which means no paying back university loans for the next 25 years.
Whatever your level of experience, the Ellis Recruitment Group can support you with maximising your career potential. You will receive product training with our in-house trainer, ensuring that you are equipped and connected to our industry. Alongside this, you will work through a modular program, which includes one-to-one coaching, delivered by the leading recruitment training partner, Recruitment Juice, all with the goal of you achieving a qualification in recruitment.
With extensive on-the-job learning, coaching and mentoring support from our experienced team, the Ellis Recruitment Group, will ensure that you are equipped to succeed and accelerate your potential.