Security Administrator Review

My role in the company is a Security Administrator, this means I am responsible for processing Security Clearances for everyone who works in and alongside Fujitsu. Day to day tasks are going through the Forms and ID we receive from applicants, chasing and requesting references, liasoning with other ranches of the Security service and keeping the systems logged and up to date with new and changed information from applicants. Internally I interact with the whole of my team on a daily basis, and also people who have been granted clearance who just need a question answered about their clearance. Externally, we have a lot of people from companies we work alongside with send us and call us about ID specifics and what information we can and cant accept from new applicants. This role is not project based it is the same work continuously, sometimes we may have an applicant who becomes VIP'd so we have to focus mainly on their work being done first but it's not a full project.

There have been many opportunities to develop my skills through the business. With the apprenticeship program we have time to go to London to attend seminars which share skills and tips on how to be the best in your apprenticeship, some of the skills they have taught us are cooperation trough team building exercises, thinking outside of the box by setting us creative tasks related to technology (aiming it towards what Fujitsu is known for), and determination to complete our courses and work within the business with public speakers telling us their experiences in the workplace. To make sure we know everything about Fujitsu and our specific job roles we are automatically signed up to leaning courses, these are about Fujitsu as a whole, Health and Safety in the Workplace and different parts of the business. This gives us the fundamental skills we need to understand Fujitsu and our rights in the workplace which also comes with certificates for completing. In my role personally I have learnt and developed quite a few skills. I have learnt perseverance from chasing information and ID documents to get clearances completed as soon as possible, chasing may take weeks or months of communication so you cant give up and not try. I have learnt how to communicate with applicants and how not to be intimidated by hard situations or doubt the knowledge I know. I have also learnt how to work independently, my work is mine alone so what I am responsible for I get along with by myself a lot of the time, if someone needs help though I am more than happy to help out and weigh my side in with everyone else. With the processes we use in the office we sometimes need to attend courses from external businesses so we can have a recap on the systems we use or have explained to us new updates which have happened so we are all up to date and know what we should and shouldn't be doing day to day.

I am enjoying my program a lot. The team I have been put with are very supportive in teaching me about the role and are more than happy to support whatever time I need to put towards my course. I have had a few manager and line manger changes while I have been here, but all of them have been encouraging and determined to get me the time I need to put towards learning and coursework which has been amazing support. The work load I have isn't too bad so it is quite easy to fit in work and coursework during the week because with the balance I have had I haven't fallen behind in either of them, I have managed to keep a consistent level between them. I personally enjoy the programme because it is fun learning new skills with the apprenticeship which will become a qualification in the end, and mixing that with learning a whole new job role as been very exciting for all these skills I can use in the future and the friendships I have made have helped boost the enjoyment. The culture of the company as a whole is a very nurturing environment, each department wants to make sure their employees have all their skills up to date so are very encouraging in letting people develop and extend their wings to other departments if that is the right thing to do, and knowing this is encouraged makes me very happy about my future in the company and how much I will be able to develop and move up through the company.

The programme itself is quite well structured. The induction happened a month after I had started so they gave us time to settle in before putting more work on to us. The man that came explained the apprenticeship well and allowed ample time for me to go through all the forms and information so I understood fully what was expected of me and what the company was supposed to offer me in the way of support. The meetings I have had with my mentor have been monthly so I had a good amount of time to get through coursework and revision because most of the meetings we had also came with tests I needed to pass in order to help towards the coursework. A lot of the meetings were quite insightful and there was good praise, help with work and constructive criticism if I didn't complete something fully so I could go away and understand where to improve and what I need to tweak to make the coursework better. I have been given good time for both studying for the apprenticeship and training for the role I am doing in Fujitsu, sometimes I have felt like I haven't had enough time, but when that happens I raise my concerns and more time is allocated to me so I can push that little extra to complete everything to the best of my abilities. The studying I do towards coursework is reading a booklet which gives bullet points about the units and what the unit is about, this has been somewhat challenging to get the hang of because GP Strategies don't do learning days about units, you have t learn by yourself. I would prefer in some cases having someone teach the material, but if I ever have a question about the coursework or I am stuck on something my mentor is very prompt at replying and giving as much information as possible to help point me in the right direction. From everything I have witnessed I feel that the programme is well organised and has been great at supporting me where I need it.

From my manager I have had a lot of support towards the course, she has been happy to make sure I have mandatory time each week to complete my coursework and revision, has helped with setting up meeting spaces for my mentor and me and finding places for me to quietly work. If I have questions about the coursework that relate to he business she is on board in giving me as much information as possible to use in the coursework so I have enough information to get it done. My manager has also been great with looking over work to make sure it is not going against any regulations, especially seeing as I need to hand in example emails and such from my inbox, because we don't want peoples private information accidently being sent out in an example. HR have been a massive support for me during my time in Fujitsu, if I have had any issues with the work, my mentor or my department/role they have been happy to give me advice and make sure to check on me again to make sure that everything is going better and if any advice is needed for me to handle workloads better or how to talk to my mentor about the course. We also have an apprenticeship team in Fujitsu that can be contacted solely for apprentices who need help or advice on their course, they are very responsive as I have used them a few times to learn more about apprenticeships within the business and have asked them about how easy is it to move around the business with an apprenticeship. They are also their to deal with any complaints or concerns so are a brilliant resource to have around for new apprentices finding their feet. Overall for me Fujitsu is very determined to make sure their apprentices have the best learning and support possible internally, I have felt I can reach out if necessary to my team, manager and other departments so I know I am getting the best out of this apprenticeship.

I receive a lot of support from my mentor from beginning to now. It has been easy to get a hold of her whenever I have had a question about the coursework, a specific question or what I should be doing if I finished a task early. My mentor has been great with the answers and guidance she has given me throughout the programme, for questions about the work and specific parts of the coursework my mentor takes the time to explain clearly everything and what I should be focusing on the most during the write up and research. Sometimes when I do ask a question though sometimes it is not answered fully on the first email due to me possibly not being specific enough with the questions I ask, but once I send a second email explaining this and changing the question slightly I normally get the answer I was looking for and can carry on with my coursework quickly. Throughout the whole course my mentor has never shown signs of not wanting to support me, she is there to answer every question I have when I ask them, and she is there to motivate and chase work to make sure it is brought in on the set deadline. I am fully enjoying this way of support because my mentor has explained a lot that she wants to support me in any way she can, and knowing that I have this kind of support available whenever I need it keeps me motivated and determined to get the coursework done.

A lot of the units I cover in my qualification help me a lot in my day to day role in Security Vetting. Because my role is an administrative job the administration side of the qualification helps massively. I have to do a lot of presenting within my job role to my team and there are units in my coursework I chose to compliment because it will teach me other areas on presentations (such as what types there are so I could work out what would be best in my workplace) so I can be more informed within the workplace before my role gets more serious and I have to do a lot of them all the time. Some of the coursework has helped with how I communicate with my team and applicants via email, one of my units was about emails and it taught me how my department store emails, structured emails and communicated with other people because I had to ask questions to complete the work.

There is a gym on sight that we are encouraged to go and use, plus it is used as a great facility to do charity sports such as a fun run. For the apprentices we have apprentice days up in London offices so we can meet all the other apprentices and network with each other so we can all communicate if we need anything, this does also range to other areas of the country if we are doing bigger and more interesting events but COVID-19 has stopped this for now. Apprentices also have the chance t do charity work and compete with the other offices to raise the most money for the company chosen charity, this allows you to be creative and take charge of a project within the company thanks to the apprentice team in Fujitsu.

Yes

I would recommend Fujitsu to people who want to start an apprenticeship in this field because I believe they are a kind and caring company, and from the support I have been given throughout my time here from many different people and departments I think this is one of the best places to get in to for learning and development. Plus, all the opportunities that are given to you at Fujitsu to go on courses to better your skills are amazing and definitely help towards getting the best out of the apprenticeship.

My main tip is always take every opportunity to go on training and apprenticeship days. These lessons and seminars are crucial in building up a network within Fujitsu and learning valuable skills to make you more competent in your apprenticeship and day to day job within Fujitsu, without these days I would be struggling finding people to network with when I need help, and I do not think I would be excelling as much as I am now without these extra learning days. My other piece of advice would to always keep open communication with your manager. If you tell your manager what is going on, like you need extra time with your coursework or you have days out of the office you need to take for training, they are brilliant at helping you find time and arranging this time for you in the office, when they know there is something wrong or you need something they will try their best to work out things for you because they have your best interests at heart and want you to do well both in the job and the apprenticeship.