Technology Apprentice Review

Service Delivery and Vendor Management. Keep on top of any high impact incidents that are impacting the Rertail Business side of the Business, attending calls and updating logs regarding such Incidents and Problems. Sit between the Business and Technology stakeholders ensuring a smooth passage of information flowing between the two to encourage a faster resolution. Creating/composing weekly, monthly and adhoc reports for senior management, providing them with a regular updates regarding current status and high impact issue volumes/sumaries. I also raise Purchase orders, and reciept invoices for external suppliers, meaning I interact with external parites on a regular occurance; occasionaly attending external supplier meetings.

On this course I am constantly learning new skills whether that be through internal/ external training courses for specific topics provided by external companies such as QA. These include some software development courses, covering a number of different languages as well as courses to improve Excel, Sharepoint and other Microsoft office products. At the end of the course I will have two level 3 qualifications within ICT. (Level 3 Diploma for ICT Proffessional Competence and Level 3 Certificate in ICT Systems and Principles for IT Professionals). So far I have also learnt a lot about the way a Multinational company operates, including working collaborativly with offices around the globe as well as softer skills such as chairing conference calls, attending meetings and compiling and sending out minutes.

I have enjoyed my time at the company so far and I am sure i will continue to do so. I was welcomed into the team from day one and am treated the same as any other employee of the company. I enjoy the work that I do, and the responsibilities that I am given. It has met my expectations and in some cases exceeded them.

I feel that I am as valued as any other employee within the company, given the same level of responsibilites. My manager provides me with feedback and recognises any achievements/good work, but equally will point out areas of improvement in order to further my development. I also recieve external recognition for my workplace units from the learning providor/apprenticeship assessor.

The process is well structured right from the start. For me this structure and organisation began even before my first day. I was invited into the office to meet the team informaly and to get to know the colleagues I would be working with before I began working with them. On the first day I was given an induction from HR. The training is well organised, with a clear order and regualr 6 weekly meetings with my assessor to keep on top of my progress both within my role at work and my apprenticeship units. I recieve good support from my manager, with regular 1-2-1 cathcup meetings. I have 4 external courses to make up part of my apprtecnticehip and they are organised in a logical order allowing me to build up my knowledge at every course.

My assessor is easily accessible answer questions or respond to any concerns I may have. Each apprentice has a contact at the learning provider who is dedicated to provide personnel support if required as well as assisting with personal development within the workplace. They are there to assist with any conflicts within the work enviroment if they are required.

My manager will always make time to catch up with me on a regular basis to ensure the scheme is going well and that I have a appropriate workload (Not overbearing but balanced against any work I have for the apprentice scheme). Each apprentice has their own HR representive, and 1-2-1 meetings are readily available. Each apprentice is paired up with a Mentor upon joining the company who will help them settle into the workplace and provide support if required. The mentor will also help develop the skills of the apprentice.

The salary is a highly competitive salary that allows an apprentice to live comfortably with present living / travel costs. The locations of the office are easily accessible by car or public transport with the company providing a free coach service from local train stations. Other benefits are included in the role as an apprentice including Private Healthcare.

There are always company events and activites to attend, whether these be fund raising event for charities, or events put on during lunch time for employees to partake in, such as fitness clubs. There are also external 'clubs' such as a football club.

Yes

It is a brilliant place to work with alot of possibilities at your fingertips, with great opportunities availale, including trips to the foriegn offices in Asia, Europe and Americas. The staff are friendly, and always happy to help/assist you with your journey/development within the company.

The application for the scheme is intense and at some stages daunting, however it is worth every bit of effort in the end! The application process is straight forward, where you fill out an online form and upload your CV. This is followed by a telephone interview with a senior member of staff. The final stage of the process is an Assesment day where you are intervied by members of staff, give a presentation on a stated topic and participate in a group exercise. I would strongly encourage anyone else to apply to Fidelity, do their best and they have the opportunity to go far!