Trade Counter Apprentice – PH Boiler Spares
Level 2 Diploma in Customer Service
What was your situation before starting your Apprenticeship at PH Boiler Spares?
I had just come out of college and I was working in Asda.
What did you study at college?
Plumbing.
Are you still hoping to become a plumber one day?
It is still an interest, but my Apprenticeship is a mix of what I was doing at college and what I was doing at ASDA.
So, you feel that you Apprenticeship is increasing your knowledge in plumbing and customer service?
Yes, it is.
Why did you decide to go down the Apprenticeship route?
Initially I was just looking for jobs, and a lot of them was looking for experience. With an Apprenticeship you can get experience, get a bit of money and learn new things every day.
Was it easy to find the perfect Apprenticeship for you?
It does take time, but it is definitely worth taking the time to find the one for you.
Where did you find out about your Apprenticeship?
It was on the internet, on one of the job sites, it was either on gov.uk or Indeed.com .
Now you are on your Apprenticeship with PH Boiler Spares do you feel that you are in a better position for you and your career?
From when I first started yes! I have learnt a lot more, I am getting taught new things that I haven’t learnt or things that I might not have learnt from college I am learning here. I am just gaining experience and I am developing as a person, so talking to people I am getting more and more confident at that.
Are you getting support from your employer?
Yes! They are always there to help when I am struggling, and they are always willing to teach me new things. It is always good to have them there, but at the same time they will give me that little bit of independence once they feel that I am competent to do something.
When you started to consider an Apprenticeship did you have any concerns?
This is going to sound like a stereotypically thing, but I thought they were just going to pay me to make cups of tea and that I wasn’t going to do a lot, but I am being involved more than I ever thought, it is more hands on, learning new things and way more than just making a brew!
Have you overcome any challenges since being on your Apprenticeship?
Personally, to start with I don’t really like talking to strangers, so coming into an environment where I am learning from them and then having customers that I have never met before was a big fear for me when I started but as the days went on and everyone in the company supported me it just made it easier. Now I feel confident, like I have only spoken to you over the phone but now I can have a conversation with you.
That’s a big step in such a short space of time.
Yeah only a couple of months.
Are there any other benefits that you are getting from being on an Apprenticeship?
From the Apprenticeship you are gaining a bit of money, you are gaining experience, you are getting a qualification but especially around this apprenticeship I like that the training team come out to me so I don’t have to worry about getting a bus, worrying about being late because a train is delayed, they come to you. And the communication is strong, because it only takes a couple of hours for a message to come back, I am not having to wait days or weeks for a reply.
What would you say to other people looking into an Apprenticeship?
Look at your options, don’t feel you have to take an option just because you think it is the right thing to do. Look at what is right for you, it needs to suit you.
What are your thoughts on the service you have received from AGL Training Ltd?
Ever since I applied communication has been good, whether that is via email, what I also like is because I was working at ASDA at the time one time I missed your call and I liked the fact that you went out of your way to send me a WATSAPP so I knew what was going on instead of wondering what have I missed so I was still in the loop and knowing what is happening without worrying that I had a missed call. You just seem to go that step further, whether it was leading up to the interview, or during my apprenticeship so far it has all been spot on, I have been shown how to use Onefile, I have been told who to contact if I am having problems, that sort of thing. Aaron (Assessor/Tutor) has been supportive, he is always asking me if I need to ask any questions and making me feel that there is no shame in asking questions and that if I am struggling if he is not here I have his email address so I can email him and ask for help and he will give me information on what I can do. He is always there to help me move that step forward instead of me staying at the same level just to pass.