It is the fifth annual National Apprenticeship Week this week. Why do you think Apprenticeships are considered so important at the moment?
An apprenticeship provides the opportunity to learn whilst you earn, with good career prospects and on the job experience.
I also believe that, with the introduction of higher tuition fees, apprenticeships are seen as a very viable alternative to pursuing an academic route. Apprenticeships can lead to stable, secure and rewarding jobs and be a better option than following the ‘traditional' path of higher education.
What attracted you to an apprenticeship with Calor Gas? What sets this course apart from others?
I felt that the gas industry would be a good sector to work in and that the apprenticeship with Calor Gas would provide me with not only a good, stable career, but also opportunities for future progression through the company. The on-site training was fantastic and Calor were very supportive at times when I found things challenging.
For example, at times I struggled on servicing, and Calor made sure that I could gain more hands-on experience in this area, to understand the practicalities of it, and to improve my ability.
I took the Domestic Gas course, which took two years to complete. We also did a bit of training alongside employees of Calor.
As part of the apprenticeship, I spent approximately five or six weeks at a time on-site, followed by two weeks in College.
What do you feel you have gained from your apprenticeship? What do you feel are the key skills you have learnt and developed?
One key area in which I have improved would be my social skills. These have obviously got better, because we are meeting different people day in day out.
My time management skills have also been enhanced, because an apprentice has to be on time and you have to know how long a job is going to take before you move on to the next job.
I also feel my management skills have improved, both in terms of task-management and people-management.
For me, it was a really good move coming to Calor. I do feel that there wasn't enough information about apprenticeships when I was at school and it annoys me that I wasn't told about how beneficial they could be.
Calor have been an absolutely fantastic company to work for, they've been behind me all the way.
I learnt so much during my apprenticeship and I would definitely recommend a Calor Gas apprenticeship to anyone.
What did you find to be the biggest challenges during your time at Calor Gas?
The biggest challenge would be learning how to deal with changes to regulations; you have to keep up to date with the current regulations because it's always changing in our trade.
Calor help with that by handing out technical bulletins so we always know whenever any rules or regulations have changed. Sometimes the biggest challenge is to keep up to date with that.
Do you think more could be done in schools to promote understanding of the benefits of apprenticeships as promising career paths for young people?
Yes definitely, I was not told about apprenticeships when I was in school. I was led to believe that higher education was the sole route to a successful and fulfilling career.
I feel that, after school, I wasted a couple of years of my life just going from job to job, not jobs I'd class as a career.
Obviously when I heard about this apprenticeship I jumped at it. I just feel like I wasted a few years of my life when I could have got into an apprenticeship straight away.
I do feel that schools could do more to promote the benefits of apprenticeships.
What message would you send to MPs about the importance of apprenticeships?
I feel strongly that more could be done to promote apprenticeships and their benefits to people of all ages.
One key issue would be accessibility. When I was looking for an apprenticeship, I felt there was not enough information available to me and that apprenticeships were few and far between. I know now that there are a number of apprenticeship options, but I don't believe parliamentarians promote their importance sufficiently.
If politicians could make it more beneficial for employers to take on apprentices, that would help, because there would be more apprenticeships available for those interested in pursuing that as a route. More information and awareness of apprenticeships is vital to helping people secure an alternative career path.
The photograph depicts Tom Simcock's apprenticeship graduation. Tom is the fourth from the right on the front row.