Business Administration Apprentice Employer

Name: Julie Pullen

Job Title: PA to Lindsey Noble (Principal and Chief Executive of Southampton City College)

Company: Southampton City College

Number of Apprentices: 1

Occupational Area: Business Administration

How did you hear about the Apprenticeship scheme?

When the College merged with City Training, Lindsey Noble (Principal and Chief Executive) had a meeting with Tania Burton (Director of Organisational Development) and asked me what I thought about recruiting an Apprentice. I then discussed this with my colleague Michelle Burt (PA to Fred Stanley) and we both thought that this was a really good idea, both for the College and a young person. We then met with Lorraine Wheeler (Team Leader of Marketing & Administration at City Training) to discuss Apprenticeships and the type of person we were looking for.

Why did you decide to take on an Apprentice?

We previously had an employee working within the PA’s office, however she transferred to another department in the College. This then opened up the possibility of recruiting an Apprentice. With our experience, we felt we could offer the support and training that would eventually enable an Apprentice to take on additional responsibilities and become a valuable member to our busy team!

How did you find allowing the Apprentice to attend day/block release?

We don’t have any problems regarding Becky attending her day-release at City Training. It enables us to catch up on our own work, although sometimes we forget to cover her duties!!

Would you take on another Apprentice in the future?

I would definitely have another Apprentice. We were really fortunate in recruiting Becky as she is keen, enthusiastic and ambitious. If we could have another person similar to her in the future via the Apprenticeship scheme, we would be very satisfied.

Becky is very keen to take on new responsibilities and is always willing to listen to our advice and guidance. It is very rewarding knowing that Becky is well on the way to achieving her NVQ Level 2 in Business and Administration.

Would you recommend other organisations to take on an Apprentice?

Absolutely! Although it took time to train Becky at the commencement of her Apprenticeship, it has been worth the effort as she has picked up new skills and has become an important and valuable member of the PA’s office.

What benefits have you gained through having an Apprentice?

It is great having Becky around because she has so much enthusiasm. She enjoys being busy and likes to be out and about, so she deals with tasks that need to be completed around the College campus. We recently moved offices and Becky was a great help in moving and re-organising our rooms!

What difficulties have you come across in having an Apprentice?

At the start, it was difficult because Michelle and I needed to make extra time to ensure we were training Becky on various tasks and procedures. However, Becky has been enthusiastic and quick to learn and has been of great help to the rest of the team!

Any other comments?

We feel Becky has contributed to making our office friendly and positive and we very much enjoy having her around!