Council harnesses new talent for apprenticeship programme
Devon County Council’s latest intake of apprentices have been speaking about their experiences so far in the work place.
The Council hires apprentices annually. This year is the biggest intake as 25 apprentices are now working in a range of council services from social care to transport.
The latest group is continuing to work through qualifications in their allocated area as well as becoming an integral part of the team. They are also paid during their apprenticeship.
Two of the twenty five new employees, Tom Satterly and Lorna Raymonthole, both from Exeter say so far the experience has been a rewarding one.
Tom, 22, works in the Economy and Enterprise department says: “I know too many people who’ve had part-time jobs which became full time jobs and that’s it.
"I was working in a warehouse and also doing data entry but neither of these jobs had any real future in them. I enjoy the challenge of working at the council, it’s honestly the best job I’ve ever had; a huge step-up from anything I’ve done before.”
Tom is currently working with the Rural Enterprise Grant programme, helping small businesses in Devon access funding to help them grow and develop.
He is clearly enjoying the responsibility: “With an apprenticeship you get money, practical experience and above all confidence which you don’t necessarily get elsewhere. To be happy in my job is the biggest aspiration I have for my career.”
Lorna, also 22, has been placed with the Customer Relations and Information Governance Team including supporting with Subject Access Requests and complaints and compliments that come in to the council. Whilst a completely new area of work for her, she did have some first hand experience of council operations.
Lorna said: “I always wanted to work with the council. My mum works for adult care as an Independent Living Advisor and watching her go from working as a ‘meals on wheels’ driver into something she really loves was always amazing to me.”
Lorna cites the management team for particular praise.
“The managers are key. You have to have a supportive manager to really succeed in this, as balancing getting a qualification with gaining the practical experience is challenging. I’ve been really lucky as everyone in the whole team are brilliant and really supportive.”
“We also get the opportunity to do some fantastic things like improve our job interview skills which is key if we’re to follow our career beyond the apprenticeship.
“When you say apprentice people often think hairdresser, carpenter or plumber. People don’t realise that a career like this is an option. I think that every department should have an apprentice. It helps bring new blood into the whole service area.”
One of the first activities set for the group was to make a presentation to senior managers, however they seemed to take it all in their stride as Lorna explains: “It’s great how involved the county council is. When we first started, we got to make a presentation to the Corporate Leadership Team as well as meeting council members to talk about what our role was going to be and what we would get from the whole thing.”
The apprentices aren’t just undertaking formal council work. They’ve decided to take on a special challenge on a voluntary basis.
On 2 August, the whole team will be donning heavy duty outdoor work clothes to take part in a Dartmoor clean-up. They’ll be going out to Shapley Commons on the Moor to clear an area of gorse and bracken with the help of rangers from the National Park Authority.
The aim of the day is to clear an area, now overgrown, so that visitors to the park can enjoy it once more.
As Tom explains, it’s a way of giving something back to the county which has given them a great opportunity: “Dartmoor is a big reason that people come to Devon in the first place and I’ve spent a lot of summers and weekends up there as well. It seems fitting that I can help out in this way.”
Cabinet Member for Economy and Growth, Councillor Andrew Leadbetter says: “I am extremely pleased to hear that these young people are getting such a lot out of their experiences here and enjoying this opportunity.
"The apprenticeship programme has been an important part of the council’s service for some years now and will continue to be in the future. I would encourage businesss in Devon to have a good look at apprenticeship schemes and see if they too could provide a similar opportunity for a skilled young person.
"The scheme provides valuable experience for those apprentices plus it’s also very beneficial to the council to bring in enthusiastic and very capable young individuals. I wish them the very best for their time here and in their future careers.”
The job advert for the next intake of apprentices at Devon County Council is live on the website.
Click here for more information about apprentices in Devon County Council, or you can follow on Twitter @DCCApprentices and like on Facebook.
For more information about the National Apprenticeship Scheme visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk
