I have always been passionate about IT and technology, for as long as I can remember I would always be working on computers and hardware in my spare time. When it came to planning about my future in education, I knew I wanted to continue with a practical IT course.
Initially I found that no universities or colleges were offering courses which I felt would be suitable for the role which I wanted to enter, they all seemed to be on more of a theory or coding side of computing rather than hands on IT where you are working with Windows and physical network installations.
After researching my options, I decided an apprenticeship was the best option for me because I could combine work and study. I was really lucky to find such a great company for my apprenticeship; Blue Logic, which is a managed IT service provider, based in Leeds.
I was the first apprentice to enter the company and they have supported and encouraged me from day one. Since my arrival, we have grown to have seven apprentices. They really believe apprentices should form part of the future of every business and understand the value we can bring. Blue Logics apprentice scheme has even received national recognition and they are now counted as a top 100 Apprenticeship Employer in the UK. I was privileged to attend the regional apprentice awards last year, where I was highly commended in the rising star category.
I am now a Junior Technical Installations Engineer at Blue Logic. It’s a role I’ve always aimed to get into and I absolutely love working in this position. I also mentor our newly recruited apprentices, ensuring they settle into their roles. I have learnt so much already and I am constantly exposed to a variety of customer networks, software and equipment.
I have had many highlights during my apprenticeship, one being shadowing the installs department as it has been extremely helpful to see how everyone works and understand which solutions are needed for certain situations and clients.
I was also lucky enough to be chosen to attend a Microsoft Future Decoded in London event last year, where I got to see an abundance of new technologies that Microsoft will be bring out over coming years.
Day to day, I love meeting different customers and seeing them happy once they have a new system up and running.
I would absolutely encourage other people to consider an apprenticeship, it’s a “win, win, win” situation. Not only do you get industry standard certifications such as BCS/MTA certificates (or MCSE/MCSA if you want to go further) but you get invaluable experience from working “hands on” in the role which you are interested in.
It allows you to see first-hand how the technology is used and how to operate it to deliver the best experience for users. Plus, you also get to work with those who are already experienced in the field so they can help you along the way if you get stuck, chances are they have had the same or similar issue before. It’s also a great opportunity to make new friends and meet people who have a variety of skillsets in your day to day job.
In the future I would like to continue down the installations route with the hope of one day reaching the Senior Installations Engineer role at Blue Logic. I want to help develop the infrastructure of the installs department and continue to grow my knowledge through more complex installs. I have now also taken on some proactive sites and am looking to start going further into Office 365 installations later this year.