3rd Line Analyst Review

I work on a 3rd Line support desk which means when a customer raises a call with our 1st and 2nd line teams that they are unable to rectify the call is then passed across to 3rd Line to attempt to resolve the issue. I am also required to provide support out of hours.

I originally started as a member of 1st/2nd Line and towards the very end of my apprenticeship I was then given a training plan which included affording me time to work with the 3rd Line team, I have as a result developed existing skills with regards to my day to day job and have come away from the apprenticeship with a PROCOM Level 3 degree and a Cisco degree in home and small networks.

I didn't particularly enjoy my programme as it was no different to what I was doing on a daily basis, with the exception of added deadlines for college work. I was not afforded much time to work on the courses and very little of it applied to my day to day role or areas of interest.

Not particularly valued, I was given some praise for completing my apprenticeship, however I am vastly underpaid for the role I'm doing due to being an apprentice and with changes in the workplace I am becoming less able to do that due to overseas teams being given our roles as well.

Again it wasn't very well organised, I had many issues with the tutor which resulted in me finishing the apprenticeship behind schedule and it took quite a lot of work to be allowed time away from the desk to focus on apprenticeship work and to get a structure put in place on the job side of things to have any sort of real training or progression there.

50/50, some of the tutors have been brilliant in providing training, support and encouragement and have been very approachable. One however was very difficult to work with and severely hampered any enjoyment I got from the course. It also became quite confusing as the tutors would change fairly regularly, I've seen about 6 different people (some of them regularly and some of them not so often) which would sometimes lead to confusion as some tutors would accept work that others would then request further amendments to.

Towards the end of the apprenticeship I was given time in work hours to focus on my coursework, however initially it proved very difficult to get any support or training plan put in place as many people failed to acknowledge the coursework side of my apprenticeship. It wasn't until the final 6 months or so of my apprenticeship that I was provided a job related training plan involving learns different aspects of the role and the desk.

In terms of costs, I live locally so the salary meets those requirements as I don't need to drive in and can walk or car share with a colleague. However in terms of pay I feel I am underpaid for my role compared to colleagues and the average income for my role, however because I am a graduate I am being paid for a graduate role.

In terms of opportunities to go to different locations for work, there is some degree of opportunity with a new offering we are bringing in. There are other initiatives that are available across the company such as councils or special interest groups and charity initiatives which are well advertised and there is normally a clear process for applying if any of these roles are of interest.

No

With my experience and with the way the contract I work on is headed, I don't feel happy as I feel the role is changing and there are barriers being put in the way of me being able to do my job, I'm underpaid for my role and if I were to go and look for other jobs, I can't leave for 18 months without having to pay a large amount for the course I've done, which I don't feel I've really benefitted from.

Ensure that clear time to focus on apprenticeship work is set out and that the contract you are on is suited to having an apprenticeship that can tie in with college work to make learning easier, with a clear plan of progression and the opportunity to spend time viewing the various roles within your area of work/interest. It is something that could be made the most of if managers and colleagues are prepared to accommodate an apprentice.