IT Infrastructure Apprenticeship

Luke

Information Technology

Level 3 Apprenticeship

John Lewis Partnership

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What apprenticeship scheme are you on?

IT Infrastructure Apprenticeship within Infrastructure Services, Partnership Services

Why did you apply to the John Lewis Partnership's apprenticeship scheme?

The John Lewis Partnership has always been an appealing place to work for me, this being because I was intrigued when I first found out about the business structure in terms of the business being employee owned and how there was a large democratic structure that has a real influence throughout the partnership. The John Lewis Partnership apprenticeships schemes seemed to have the right balance between specialist training and education alongside moving into working life.

What was the induction like?

Our induction contained many parts. Firstly we had our official induction into the Partnership where we were told various historical facts and information that we need to know on a day to day basis. We also had meetings organised with members of both my team and other teams to get an understanding of the work done alongside meetings with senior management.

What do you do on a daily basis?

I work within the team which looks after the email and collaboration tools and infrastructure for the partnership. I spend my day in the 2nd line team supporting service desks who are in turn supporting users, either on the shop floor or in head office.

What do you enjoy most?

I enjoy how varied the work can be day to day. I very much enjoy being given a technical problem and being challenged to solve the issue. I also very much enjoy the office environment where everyone is so friendly and nothing is ever too much of an inconvenience.

What skills are necessary to perform well?

It is important to be hardworking and determined, alongside a strong team working attitude to do a JLP apprenticeship as there will be several steps along the way where you are challenged outside your confidence zone but with support provided along the way.

What advice would you give to someone applying to the John Lewis Partnership IT apprenticeship scheme?

The main piece of advice I would give is to carefully consider apprenticeships as an option and to be aware that not all apprenticeships offer the same opportunities. JLP IT apprenticeships offer a wide range of qualifications alongside the standard apprenticeship BTEC qualification such as specialist, industry standard training and examinations.

How has this apprenticeship affected your career prospects?

The apprenticeship has provided me so much specialist training and knowledge while combining this with real life work experiences which will allow me in the future to advance in my career more so than I would have been able to with only one of those aspects alone. The apprenticeship has also given me a wide understanding of different technological areas which I was unaware of before starting.