TELL US HOW YOU FIRST BECAME AN APPRENTICE:
I was forwarded an email by my sixth form tutor advertising a degree apprenticeship role at Jaguar Land Rover. This prompted me to research apprenticeship opportunities further, and apply for an additional five positions. It was a very last minute decision–for most of my A-levels I believed I would go to university and study computer science because my school did not particularly advertise apprenticeships and I was unaware of degree-level apprenticeships.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR CURRENT APPRENTICESHIP ROLE:
As an apprentice in the Computing division at the UK Atomic Energy Authority, I worked on projects supporting nuclear fusion research. My first project involved an international team producing a report on improving access to high-quality fusion data in the EU, published by the European Commission. I later researched computational methods for optimising complex magnetic systems in fusion reactors, publishing two peer-reviewed papers. My final project was maintaining an open-source low-fidelity fusion reactor design software used in several reactor design and construction pipelines.
TELL US WHY YOU WANTED TO BECOME AN APPRENTICE AMBASSADOR:
I have seen first-hand the amazing opportunities that apprenticeships provide to learners and the companies that hire them alike. My apprenticeship allowed me to develop immensely as a person by improving my confidence and communication skills. Unlike a degree, I was immediately exposed to project and people management and responsibility which developed my technical and soft skills in a practical setting, rather than focussing on the theoretical technical knowledge.
In sixth form, I was not properly informed of these benefits of an apprenticeship, and I was not even aware of degree apprenticeships. Becoming an ambassador will allow me to do my small bit in ensuring my experience is that of the past, and all are young people are well-informed before making decisions about their futures.
