3aaa Apprenticeship
Friday 6th July 2018
Stepnell is a complete construction partner with proven end-to-end project lifecycle expertise. They serve a broad spectrum of private and public-sector clients, ensuring they realise their vision by providing a more holistic approach to project design, build, management and delivery. Find out more about Stepnell.
Stepnell have an IT Apprentice from 3aaa and have been enjoying working with us for some time now. They provide outstanding opportunities for our Apprentices and have proven to be a fantastic business to work with.
Anthony Francis, IT Manager at Stepnell, discusses interviewing Jai and first impressions:
“My first impressions of Jai were great, you could see that he had a real spark in him, and a desire to do well. He was able to speak about where he wanted to go professionally in the future and he came across very level-headed for such a young trainee which was really impressive. He also spoke in a friendly, well-mannered tone, this assured me that he would have good customer service skills which is an integral part of his role.”
Jai recently attended the Leicester Apprenticeship Graduation ceremony, where he was awarded with the ‘Higher Apprentice of the Year Award’. Jai received this reward for his outstanding efforts over the course of his apprenticeship. Regardless of difficult times he pushed on and the hardship only made him want to succeed more! He is a determined apprentice and 3aaa are delighted that he has been given this award.
Jai discussing his reaction to receiving the award:
“I’m very happy, and still surprised, it’s not quite sunk in yet that I won this award. I have it on my shelf downstairs and I still smile when I see it as it is a reminder of the things I have achieved with this apprenticeship, it feels so rewarding to be recognised for all my hard work”
Progressing from our Level 3 IT programme, Jai started off in an SME – carrying out day to day activities within their remote support platform, the company soon recognised his ability to work on the technical side of IT. Over the first few months of his Level 4 they eventually phased out their external contractors and Jai became the lead for IT technical issues within the company. Once completed, he decided he would like to work in a larger company with larger systems. He now works with a multi-national building company working as a team member in the IT department.
“I have been provided with a lot of support both in and out of work,” Jai continued, summarising his experience at work and with 3aaa, “they helped me through this qualification. Both work and 3aaa have helped me plan out my work within the apprenticeship, but not only this, they have helped me with my plans for the future and what I can do next. One of the most important things that I was helped to understand was how to get the balance right between my work, the apprenticeship, and my home life outside of this.”
When discussing how Jai’s award made Anthony feel, he said: “It was a really proud moment, I honestly felt like a proud dad. Jai has integrated so well with the team that we were all just overwhelmed with happiness that he received this award. It just goes to show that his hard work and dedication to this role has paid off and he has been recognised for it. Receiving the award has massively improved his confidence, everyone is just so proud of him!”
Ruth Sutton, Jai’s IT Trainer, said:
“Jai often struggled on the academic side of things but over time found it easier to complete. He is a good example of why apprenticeships matter and how they help young people to progress into the real world of work.”
Throughout an Apprenticeship, the Apprentices are supported both within the workplace, and by the academy. 3aaa will always strive to give apprentices the best experience possible and to help them understand how much an apprenticeship can help set them up for the future, in more ways than just the qualification.
If you’re interested in hiring an Apprentice or would like to become one, we have 36 local academies across England that can provide bespoke services to you through our range of first-rate programmes. Getting started is easy, 3aaa can provide the help and support to meet your requirements with our free-of-charge recruitment service, or with our CV and interview tips and techniques.
To find out more about becoming an Apprentice, hiring an Apprentice or our available programmes, visit 3aaa