In honour of National Apprenticeship Week, we caught up with GAMA’s first apprentice, Charlotte to find out more about her qualification, why she chose to do an apprenticeship and how she manages to fit in hours of studying!

What are you studying in your apprenticeship?

I am currently studying for my CIPD in Human Resources. A CIPD is a qualification in people practice, people management, learning and development, and is a globally recognised qualification.

How long is your apprenticeship?

My apprenticeship lasts for 18 months and it’s already flying by!

How did you find out about the apprenticeship?

I wanted to get into employment as soon as I could, while at the same time, completing a qualification which is why I looked into an apprenticeship. I wanted to work for a company that offered an apprenticeship in a fast-paced environment and luckily for me, I found GAMA! I was interested in infection prevention and thought the career progression was really appealing.

Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship vs. going to university?

1. To gain a head start on my career.

2. To obtain a globally recognised qualification while at the same time gaining valuable work experience.

3. To build my own network at 18 years old.

What’s the best thing about being an apprentice?

Definitely the fact I can learn from other employees that have lots of valuable experience. I’ve had so many offers from GAMA colleagues wanting to help me with my apprenticeship.

How do you fit work around your studies?

I work 40 hours a week whilst fitting in 8 hours of study as well as doing assignments. I think the key to studying whilst working full time, is to organise your time. At the start of every month, I will assess everything that needs to be completed for my qualification that month and then fit this into my work schedule. It takes a lot of organisation but I know it will be worth it in the end!

GAMA’s Recruitment Manager, Najda shares what value an apprentice brings to the team, what you need to consider when employing an apprentice and why GAMA supports apprentices.

What value you does an apprentice bring to the team?

Having an apprentice has added a whole different perspective to the discussions we have in the team. Charlotte in particular is always ready to learn and try new things, she’s boosted the support for new projects and initiatives.

What do you need to consider when taking on an apprentice?

As a manager, you need to understand the requirements of the apprenticeship and match the work to the needs of the qualification. For example, in Charlotte’s case, as part of her apprenticeship she needs to understand HR systems and processes which we already do as part of our day to day so it doesn’t feel like an “apprentice-only” task.

If you’d like to find more about life at GAMA, head over to our Careers page. Join the conversation on #NAW2022 by sharing this article on social.