Apprenticeships are “an amazing stepping stone”

We’re celebrating National Apprenticeship Week this week (6 to 12 February).

Today (Wednesday 8 February) is Apprentice Day and to mark the occasion, we asked one of our apprentices to tell us a bit more about themselves, their role and why they chose an apprenticeship.

Bryony Seed works as an assistant administrator in our tourism and culture team. 

As well as carrying out her daily on-the-job tasks and duties, Bryony is studying a Level 3 business administration course.

She says: “My typical day consists of checking my work email and the tourism bureau email, making sure I have completed all my tasks and have answered any of the queries received from visitors. 

“I also complete any financial paperwork such as processing invoices that I am responsible for.

“Then I go into Scarborough town centre to check our information stands to make sure they are fully stocked with leaflets ready for visitors and tourists.

“My afternoons are usually spent studying towards my business administration qualification.”

Bryony is one of many apprentices that we hire each year.

An apprenticeship is an alternative to the perhaps traditional academic undergraduate route of going to university.

An apprenticeship offers someone the chance to earn as they learn.  Combined with formal study the apprenticeship results in a recognised qualification – some being the equivalent of a degree.

Since going to college Bryony has completed a travel and tourism Level 3 course and went on to university where she graduated with a BA Hons in tourism management. 

However, she discovered that lots of employers require as much as three years of admin experience as part of a tourism role, so she opted for an apprenticeship route to further boost her skills.

Bryony says: “I like how I have an apprenticeship, which is related to the job sector I have been studying for five years.  It has allowed me to extend my knowledge while gaining essential experience within a job role.

“Working for the council has been interesting.  I always wanted to go into the public sector when I was studying, so being able to have this apprenticeship has been great. 

“Everyone in the team has been so welcoming and supportive in helping me.  I feel I have settled in to my role.”

Bryony has this message for anyone considering whether to choose an apprenticeship:

“I think there is a stigma surrounding apprenticeships that you should be a certain age or have fewer qualifications to be suitable for one. 

“However, I think it is an amazing stepping-stone for someone who might have a lot of knowledge on a certain area but lacks any real-world experience in that job role. 

“An apprenticeship allows you to use your knowledge within a job role while also giving you an opportunity to learn new skills and experience allowing you to progress further in your career.”

Our thanks go to Bryony and we wish her well in her role.

The imminent move from eight councils to one in North Yorkshire from 1 April means we’re not currently recruiting apprentices to our council.

However, there is information about apprenticeship opportunities across the county on the North Yorkshire Council website.