Melissa from the team recently spoke with Kelsey Orrock, former Modern Apprentice (MA) and now full-time employee of Dundee and Angus College, about her journey since completing her apprenticeship.
1.What inspired you to do a MA?
I was inspired to do a Modern Apprenticeship because it would give me the ability to work, earn money and gain a qualification and real-life industry working experience all at the same time.
2. What qualification did you complete?
I studied level 2 Business Administration in my first year then was kept on to complete Level 3 Business Administration.
3. Since completing your qualification, have you developed yourself further?
Yes, I have had the opportunity to complete the PDA in Service Design qualification.
4. What other opportunities have you had since completing your Modern Apprenticeship?
Once completing my level 3 qualification I was given the opportunity of fixed-term employment within the team. A full time role within the same team came available which I applied for and successfully was given the job. This new job role gave me a different direction by working closely with companies through the Flexible Workforce Development Fund which gives the companies training and development opportunities.
5. What stood out for you the most during your time as an apprentice?
One of the roles during my Level 3 Apprenticeship and 1st year of employment was to organise all trips including travel and accommodation for college staff and students as part of the Erasmus and other projects. I was then given the opportunity to be a part of one of the Mobility Trips to Finland which allowed me to see through the whole process personally for myself from organising the arrangements to actually going on the trip and learning Finland’s Education and Culture.
Another opportunity I had was to be an Apprentice Ambassador for the local DYW team where I would go into schools and tell pupils my apprenticeship journey, this helped to build my confidence in communicating.
6. Have you considered any other further education?
Recently I have considered the possibility of completing a degree through the Open University.
7. Where do you hope to see yourself in the next 5 years?
Within the next 5 years, I hope to have gained more qualifications to further develop myself, to have more confidence in everything I do, I would like to be in financially stable with my own house and hopefully have children of my own.
Melissa also spoke with Kelsey’s manager, Denise Scobie, to get some insight from the employers point of view of the benefits in having a Modern Apprentice.
“Taking on Kelsey as an MA candidate within my team was hugely successful allowing the her to learn skills in a busy working environment while still earning a wage. For my team the Kelsey was very diligent and conscientious in the tasks she undertook in her 1st year which resulted in her contributing to the draw down of additional monies to the College from project work. Due to staff workloads we would never have found this additional income if it had not been for Kelsey. This work built her confidence and it was lovely to see her grow, develop and achieve in her 1st year for her qualification.“
“Due to Kelseys’ growth in confidence, I decided to move the her to a busier campus and give her more challenging responsibilities in her 2nd year. She undertook this with great enthusiasm and once her confidence grew in her new role, she managed her own workload and responsibilities often undertaking tasks before I had asked for them! By the end of her qualification, our MA candidate was dealing with and answering audit queries and again contributed to additional money being awarded to the College.“
“Having an MA within the team was a great experience that allowed us be able to undertake additional responsibilities within the team but at the same time gave us confidence that these responsibilities would be carried out professionally. Seeing Kelsey blossom from a shy young girl into a fully fledged member of our team was the most rewarding aspect of taking her on as an MA candidate.“
If you would like more information on becoming an apprentice or are an employer about taking on an apprentice, contact the DYW Dundee and Angus team via email, contact@dywtaycities.co.uk and we will be happy to help or visit apprenticeships.scot.