IT Apprentice
“After studying Computer Science at GCSE and college, I knew I wanted to work in IT in some way. Thing is, I wasn’t thriving in the college environment – so when I heard about FCDO Services’ Infrastructure Technician Apprenticeship from a family friend, I looked into it. When I saw just how much variety the programme offered, I knew it was for me.
"I’m able to enjoy a variety of hands-on responsibilities across different teams, giving me a well-rounded picture of where I could take my future career".
Thanks to the structure of the apprenticeship, I can dip my toe in lots of different IT areas, rather than focusing on just the one. It means I’m able to enjoy a variety of hands-on responsibilities across different teams, giving me a well-rounded picture of where I could take my future career. It’s really interesting seeing how everything fits together, and how everyone supports the organisation as a whole.
My apprenticeship is made up of different placements that last anywhere between a few days to a few months. Depending on my placement, I could be doing anything from raising and completing tickets to monitoring and implementing changes with my current team. One big misconception about apprenticeships is that you get given all the tasks that no-one else wants to do. This isn’t true at all. Yes, you start with the basics so you can learn how everything works, but you also shadow colleagues and actually help them work on real projects.
"The senior leadership team make sure you’ve got everything you need and check in with you."
To do all this, teamworking and communication are two hugely important skills. Before joining, I worked for a martial arts company; I taught classes, worked on their reception and dealt with some of their accounts and finances. This all gave me a brilliant grounding in how to communicate with customers and how to work with others, both things that come in handy every day as an apprentice here.
FCDO Services is such a friendly place to work: everyone’s welcoming and ready to help you, and all apprentices make an effort to look out for each other. The same goes for the senior leadership team – they make sure you’ve got everything you need and check in with you. It also feels like we as apprentices have become our own team, regardless of which programme we’re on. If one of us learns something or hears some useful advice, we pass it on to the wider group so we’re all learning and growing as much as possible."
