Data Analyst Apprentice Review

I am a Data Analyst Apprentice and I sit in the Vodafone Business Platforms & Solutions area. On a day to day basis I am creating Dashboards from Excel exports and utilising Data Visualisation tools to present them to my team to highlight key areas which could be focused on to improve optimisation of a Customer based tool. I get 20% of my time to focus on my coursework which could be Essays/Posters/Online learning or Tool based work.

Since the start of my Apprenticeship I have grown both hard and soft skills. My confidence has improved so I feel comfortable presenting to a wide team and my ability to work under time scales is much better which further allows me to manage my work in a more timely manner. In comparison my Excel skills have improved vastly alongside being familiar with Data Visualisation tools such as Power BI. Also supporting incoming Apprentices 2 years in a row has allowed me to be creative in keeping the onboarding interactive.

Our apprenticeships have greatly improved starting this year due to a new Apprenticeship provider being implemented in September which has brought in more structure and support especially on the Apprenticeship side. The work I have currently is interesting and team I have around me is supportive as well. There is some issues surrounding sometimes getting access to data in Vodafone or access to tools required however this is an issue that the Apprenticeship team is looking into to try and resolve. Company culture is always positive though and there are people there to support you.

The new Apprenticeship provider has completely improved the dynamics of the program and has enforced structure in regards to modules/assignments. There is good communication between us, our Apprenticeship team and the Apprenticeship Providers team. We get 20% of our time allocated to our Apprenticeship work however we are able to take more if needs be. We have meetings every 4-6 weeks with the Apprentice provider to make sure we are on track and to raise any concerns we/my manager may have.

I am in a team with other Data Analyst Apprentices and we all support each other on a daily basis. I also have 121s with my manager on a weekly basis to check in and see if there is any blockers for my work/general chat which I have found most useful especially working from home. There are always people who want to help you at Vodafone but sometimes the VF systems are the hindrance and can cause problems to drag out.

We utilise a separate Microsoft teams with the Apprentice provider to maintain contact and keep up up to date. The team to support us always reply quickly to try and support us and work with us to sort issues. The lectures are interesting and interactive and occur every month to help us progress.

I have only just started this Apprenticeship now with this new provider and so far I haven't completed modules which are relevant to my day to day work however over the next couple of years I expect it too mirror some of my work and enhance my understanding to allow me to progress further

There are numerous Social groups to get involved in and before Covid there were events hosted by these different groups. I am part of the Youth Committee in Vodafone Group which means I get to support incoming Apprentices and also provide support to the Youth Committee when we have business related queries/issues. We also have Feel Good days once a month where no meetings get booked in and you can opt into events such as Mindfulness.

Yes

The Apprentice programme has grown and improved over the last couple of years and now it is at a Stage where I feel I would recommend my role. There are numerous opportunities and the ability to meet and networking with lots of new people. The new Apprentice provider has also helped to implement better structure which helps us to further our learning.

Look into new and emerging technologies for the Interviews/Applications e.g. 5G and IoT and be keen during the application process. Vodafone is constantly evolving make sure you are able to evolve too! Also check out the VodafoneLife instagram page for more insights and helpful tips. Try situations that would normally scare you beforehand, it'll really help your confidence!