Ever dreamed of starting your very own career venture? Lewis Whittick, a Level 3 IT Apprentice from Chelmsford, has done just that and made his ambition clear from the outset. His flair for design and his entrepreneurial drive has led to him launching his own design and photography venture, Arte Magazine.

Lewis, who is 19 and working as a web designer in the Essex based IT company Ahead4, has thrived within his new role while also following his own initiatives outside of work hours by creating Arte Magazine. He commented “3aaa have opened doors for me which weren’t a possibility before. I had been trying to get into the design industry for a long time, but was met with a lot of rejection. After meeting with Luke, he took the time to really get to know me and understand my passion and ambition. I have been placed with a great employer who also supports me in pursuing my own project, Arte Magazine.

Over the past year we have been researching artists and designers that we think would be suitable for Arte content and have now got a list of over 100 people and projects that we would love to feature. The magazine, which celebrates minimalist photography and design, gives credit to these amazing artists who may not get the recognition they deserve. I can’t thank 3aaa enough for giving me this opportunity, my vision is now a reality”.

After beginning a sports Apprenticeship with a separate provider, it became apparent to Lewis that his passion lay with design and photography, a passion that the 3aaa team wanted to nurture.
After meeting with an advisor from 3aaa, Lewis was quickly paired with Ahead4, a local IT computing shop based in Wickford, Essex. During his time with his employer and the 3aaa academy, Lewis’ talents continued to grow and thrive. So much so that he is now launching his very own publication, with the help of his friend and business partner Adam Tyson.

When Lewis met with Luke Culling, apprentice intake for Chelmsford, he described how disheartened he had been applying for numerous design jobs but hearing nothing back. Luke dedicated much of his time and efforts to pairing Lewis with the perfect employer who would nurture his creative integrity.

Lewis was placed with his employer quickly after his first interview, and since then his talent for web design has excelled. In his first few months he has made a tremendous impression on the company, while also finding time after work and his studies to create Arte magazine.

Luke Culling, 3aaa Chelmsford’s lead Apprentice representative, could not be more pleased with how much Lewis has progressed within such a short space of time. He had this to say, “This is why I do the job that I do, to help ambitious young people like Lewis achieve great things. He has managed to create something really special off his own back and we expect more great things are just around the corner. Lewis is still looking for as much support as possible for Arte magazine, and we could not be happier to help”.

Not sure that University is right for you? Thomas Rixon, a Level 3 IT Apprentice from Oxford started his Apprenticeship after looking at alternative ways to pursue a career within IT. After meeting the team at the 3aaa Oxford Academy and discussing his options, Thomas never looked back…

“When I started at 3aaa and Olamalu, I didn’t know what to expect with regards to what I would be doing on a day to day basis or what everyone would be like. After being here for 3 months I know I have made the right choice and I am really enjoying it. I left school half way through sixth form as I didn’t want to go to university and wanted to work in IT.

So an Apprenticeship seemed the way to go. So far on this Apprenticeship I have learnt some great things. The 3aaa Oxford Academy have taught me a lot more than what I would have learnt at school. They have taught me some basic skills such as taking a computer apart and putting it back together again and running a basic server. They have also taught me some things I had never really heard of before like SLA’s and scopes on DHCP servers. Doing an Apprenticeship gives you more freedom than school and gets you ready for working in the IT industry.

I had been interested in web design and development for a while but didn’t really understand how the whole process worked. Since starting with Olamalu I now know how it all works and each step that goes into designing and developing a website. For someone who didn’t know as much as they wanted, the company have been kind in helping me with this and helped me develop my skills. They have taught me things I always thought about but never understood like how layouts of websites work and the styling that goes along with websites.

One of the things that is best about this Apprenticeship is that when you are working on a website, you know that people are going to see what you have done and it should help them. Along with this I am now getting better at CSS and starting to learn the basics of JavaScript, which I am really enjoying and have always wanted to do. Everyone at Olamalu has helped me a lot with this and I thank them for that.

If someone wants to work with websites, or IT in general, I would recommend they take this Apprenticeship as it will help them learn things that they need to know and help them start their career. I have received a great deal of support every step of the way, which makes an Apprenticeship a great thing to do.”

Carly Pollard, Apprentice Intake Executive at the 3aaa Birmingham Academy:

Connor O’Driscoll is one of our newly employed Apprentices at the 3aaa Birmingham Academy. However, his story is not your average applicant to Apprentice journey!

Through a partnership I set up at a Sandwell Connexions careers fair in West Bromwich Town Hall at the start of this year, I received a referral from Seetec a few months ago – Connor O’Driscoll. At first it seemed that I would not be able to progress his application as he had already completed some units of our qualification at college. However, his strong enthusiasm and passion for IT was apparent during his telephone interview and so I invited him in for a face-to-face interview. At this stage, it became clear that he was one of a rare breed – a young software developer! As a company we decided he was too good to lose and agreed to begin matching him to Employers.

Before we could begin this process, however, we required a few documents from Connor, such as ID, proof of his National Insurance number and GCSE certificates. This would prove to be a problem as he had left home and lived by a different surname to that on his birth certificate. Connor refused to let anything prevent him from joining our programme though and spent the next few weeks rebuilding his relationship with his mum, chasing his certificates, reordering his National Insurance number and even re-registering his birth under his preferred surname! His commitment to the programme at this stage was already admirable.

Jo Barrett, our Senior Apprenticeship Recruitment Executive at Birmingham, having waited patiently to send Connor’s CV out to companies, arranged two interviews for him. However, after attending the one at Bluetel Solutions and being offered employment with them, he was quick to accept their offer.  Bluetel Solutions is a company that is very particular with their recruitment and only employ those with the highest level of skills and qualities.  Their feedback for Connor was very positive stating that they thought he would fit in with the team well and that they liked his “get-up-and-go” attitude!

When asked how he feels about this opportunity, Connor said “I decided to apply for the Apprenticeship so that I am able to become educated in my chosen field, whilst gaining experience at the same time.  IT is what I have always wanted to do and it really is overwhelming how I have managed to secure my dream job at the age of 17!”

We are all very proud of what Connor has achieved so far and wish him every success with his IT Apprenticeship and beyond!

“Since starting with 3aaa, I’ve found with the help of the team I’ve had a massive confidence boost which was a large barrier for me to overcome. On the whole I’ve found everyday life much more positive. I feel I have been given something to aim for and achieve rather than just taking each day as it comes. I had been unemployed for a quite a while and felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere.

The 3aaa Cambridge Academy have been fantastic helping me in my approach to companies and I quickly noticed a 300% increase in responses from Employers when I began working with the team. They spent time with me and gave me some tips and advice about how to prepare for and handle interviews.

The team were always willing to sit down, guide and talk me through any issues that I had and found ways for me to better myself. They talked to me like a real person and didn’t talk down to me. They constantly made me feel like their top priority.

The Academy is fantastic. They taught me how to approach companies professionally, without it feeling like a tedious endeavour. I am now working as an IT Apprentice for Studio 24 in Cambridge and couldn’t be happier. My friends and family have noticed a great change in me and have commented on how much happier I am. I am grateful for this fantastic opportunity and intend to stay on after my Level 3 apprenticeship and progress to Level 4!”

Lateral thinking, perseverance, dedication and never say never attitude – are all the skills needed by successful sales people today.

A truly, inspirational story to us all from Andy Green, RE Derby:

“One of our applicants who has been part of the Academy since the summer on his social media training finally saw his hard work pay off today (08/10/2014) and finally gained his apprenticeship.  Alex had been for 4 interviews without success and although nervous at the start he has gained confidence and good interview experience.

Alex has turned into a very proactive young person and has come into the Academy off his own back to spend days out on work experience at our current employers to gain employability skills.  At the academy in Derby we have given him employability skills and we have given feedback on his interview techniques. I have spent time with him in preparation for interviews have actively involved his parents too.

Alex attended an interview today and gave a really positive impression of himself and also 3aaa’s. Shortly after that interview, I received a call from the employer  and not only had Alex impressed that much they wanted to offer him the job, they are now also looking at taking on more apprentices  from 3aaa.

The moral of the story, persevere with those applicants, you never know what it may lead to!” Andy Green, RE, Derby

Looking to start an exciting career in an ever evolving sector? Stephen Wray, a Level 3 Social Media Apprentice from Leicester turned his passion for Social Media into a real life career and in doing so helped transform the Digital Marketing Strategy of his Employer.

Stephen has settled quickly with his current Employer, the Leicester Racecourse, after the 3aaa team at Leicester helped him to find the Employer that best suited his needs. Whilst completing his Apprenticeship at the Leicester Racecourse, Stephen also attends the 3aaa Leicester Academy on a weekly day release to ensure that he gets both the practical and theoretical skills that he needs to prosper in his career.

Stephen said “My experience with 3aaa has been a brilliant one. The training I have received has been first class and provided me with the skills I need to do the career I want to do. The support which the Academy staff have provided has been fantastic. I had a problem with an Employer and as soon as they were aware of the problem they took me out of that environment and helped me get a new placement within Leicester Racecourse where I am enjoying every day that I am working there. Some of the tasks which I do on a day to day basis are keeping our social channels up to date with content and information as maintaining the website and other marketing channels. On race days I am out and about taking photos and videos of all the action.”

After his initial setback, Stephen has now overcome these barriers to become an asset to his Employer. Claire Phillips, the 3aaa Leicester Academy Manager said “He has flourished within his time at Leicester Racecourse so far. The Leicester Academy recently supported Stephen and the Racecourse by attending the Ladies Day racing on 5th July 2014.  Stephen was working on the day and was responsible for the promotion of the event using Social Media updates and also for enhancing the customer experience throughout the event. His Employer is delighted with his excellent work ethic and is very happy with the quality of his work. Stephen now has an excellent opportunity to progress to a full time position at the end of his Apprenticeship”.

As we set off on our exciting career journeys, it is natural that there will a range of different challenges for us to overcome along the way.

Matt England, a Level 3 Apprentice from Oxford started his Apprenticeship with 3aaa with a great passion and interest for IT along with exciting plans and ambitions for his future. Unfortunately for Matt, he struggled with other aspects of the course and he worried that this would stop him reaching his ultimate goal; a successful career in within IT.

Liz Baker, Apprentice Intake Executive for the Oxford Academy said “When Matt arrived for his interview he was very nervous and hardly spoke yet he was very polite. He did not pass his initial assessment in Maths and asked if he could retake it. We arranged for another interview and gave him some BKSB practice units. He came back and passed the Maths. However, he would have to take Functional Skills in this area. Myself, the tutors and the assessors all sat with Matt throughout his 14 months with us. Matt continuously came back from lunch early or would come in to study and do make up work to ensure he was completing his work correctly. He once told us that his secondary school Maths teachers would ignore him and not teach him anything because he was so far behind and that we are the only ones whom have taken the time to teach him Maths since he was in primary school.”

Matt is full of praise for the Oxford team as he can now progress with his Apprenticeship and follow his dream career in IT. “I wasn’t successful at first but I finally completed my Functional Skills in Maths at the third time of asking thanks to the support of 3aaa. After I failed at the first two attempts I then buckled down and we spent a full day going over my practice assessments and discussing how to work out the problems. This time I didn’t just pass the exam, I received a mark of 90%. I am so excited and proud of himself and I cannot wait to continue my IT Apprenticeship and reach my career goals. The staff at 3aaa were excellent and helped me improve my Maths knowledge without ever getting frustrated with me.”

Matt is now continuing his Apprenticeship with 3aaa and his Employer, CSE Education who are delighted with his progress. Jason Bowyer, Manage Service Engineer of CSE Education said “Now that Matt has passed his functional skill, his placement in the company is now secure and we can rely on him to carry out the tasks to the best of his ability, with a recognised qualification. He has fitted into the team brilliantly and we are looking forward to seeing him progress within the business”

Still haven’t decided what to do after School/College? Not sure that University is right for you? As Chris Hicklin found out, 3aaa can offer you the support and guidance as you explore an alternative route into the career of your choice.

Chris Hicklin, a Level 3 IT Apprentice from Tamworth contacted 3aaa after he did not get the results that he needed to go to University. After his initial disappointment, he soon realised there were other options available and he was excited about the benefits an Apprenticeship would offer him. “I decided to apply for an Apprenticeship after college as I did not get the required grades to get into University. I soon realised how beneficial an Apprenticeship could be to me as I looked to start a career in IT. It’s great to be able to learn the skills I need whilst earning a wage. Assessors visit me every month or so, but the rest of the time I’m just working like normal. My IT knowledge has really developed since working for Trent & Dove and I am now familiar with a range technical issues, from telephony systems to computer networking.”

Samantha Ryall the 3aaa RecruitmentExecutive for Tamworth worked closely with Chris to help him find an Employer that would suit his skills and personality so that he could prosper within his role. She said “After completing a college course in Computer Gaming, Chris wanted to go to University but unfortunately did not get the grades he needed. Chris then researched Apprenticeships as he looked for an alternative path and found that 3aaa would support his career goals. The Apprenticeship opportunity has allowed Chris to follow his passion for IT and provided him with the vocational studies as well as the hands-on work experience that he needs for career within the industry.”

As part of his Apprenticeship, Chris works for Trent & Dove Housing in Burton upon Trent, who are delighted with his progress. Anita Mansfield from Trent & Dove Housing said “Chris has developed within his role of IT Support Technician, and is now able to resolve a wide range of IT problems around the organisation. He is enthusiastic to keep learning and has an ambition to one day become a manager within a specialised role. He has become an excellent member of our team.”

Chris now sees his initial situation as a blessing in disguise. “In the future I would like to become specialised in one area of IT, and perhaps take a managerial role where I can supervise a team of people. The best thing about my Apprenticeship is that everything I learn is put into practice. I now have the qualifications and real life work experiences that will help me to get noticed by other Employers. Everyone at Trent & Dove has been really supportive during my Apprenticeship. I would recommend it to anyone who is starting out in their career.”