Georgia joined Aptus in 2023 on a Business Administration Apprenticeship through Wigan & Leigh College. She provides essential daily support to our street lighting department whilst working towards NVQ Level 3. In our Q&A Georgia tells us about her apprenticeship and how she is progressing.
I liked the idea of having a full-time job but also learning – being in an apprenticeship means you are earning and working towards a qualification. I believe apprenticeships open up many new and exciting opportunities not only with the skills and knowledge you obtain, but also the experience which can be impressive to employers and also ultimately builds self-assurance.
As I have progressed, many of my daily responsibilities have switched to more difficult tasks. Currently, I am often working on connection approvals for street lighting works including checking CAD (Computer Aided Design) designs for accuracy and seeing new awards all the way through to the construction handover.
These connection approvals are required to enable the fitters to physically go out on site to execute street lighting requests. I am also responsible for managing the procurement of streetlighting stock across our different stores, including Leyland, Burntwood, Penrith and Follingsby.
I liaise with the street lighting project managers and obtain quotations, which later must be checked for accuracy. I also provide rationale and make judgment on whether certain stock needs to be ordered or can be postponed based on stock movements, levels and upcoming works.
I found Aptus through a job finding app called ‘Indeed’. One day I very luckily came across a job for a Business Administrator apprenticeship at Aptus Utilities and was immediately interested.
I enjoy executing tasks which require a lot of thought and the utilisation of the skills and knowledge I’ve obtained since I began. I work in the streetlighting department which I find interesting and enjoy learning about. I’m also given the opportunity to spend time with other departments to learn their side of works, which helps me put into perspective how the different departments interlink, as well as learning even more! In my apprenticeship, this is considered ‘off-job training’ which is hugely advantageous.
Apprenticeships give you experience you could only obtain in the workplace. It has also improved my time management and adaptability, which are crucial for completing tasks and meeting deadlines.
I am currently working towards obtaining my NVQ qualification and using this to advance to a full-time job position. I would love to become a manager in a career I am passionate and knowledgeable about. Right now, I am enjoying the street lighting path and also learning CAD, and I would like to progress in these.
Q. What are the benefits of Aptus Academy?Aptus Academy is a great way to learn more about the wider world and gain skills which can be implemented in your own life. We have had guest speakers talking about financial and wellbeing advice – all of which you can use and improve your own lifestyle.
The ‘off-job training’ aspect of an apprenticeship is beneficial for gaining new and different skills. If you have an idea of where you wish you to progress, you can begin gaining an insight by getting a taster of different departments and career options, and whether they may be for you or not.
I care a lot about what I do and try my best with everything and helping others, so I believe I contribute the keenness to get tasks done and to the highest standard.
Some people believe an apprenticeship is ‘donkey work’ such as printing things and making coffees, as opposed to actually being asked to think and get involved in significant tasks; but I have learnt that is not always true.
I would absolutely recommend apprenticeships! Apprenticeships are a ladder for career progression – it’s like a full-time job with the perks of learning and having qualifications to work towards!
