I joined the Steer IT team in August 2018 after completing a Level 3 IT degree at college and looking into apprenticeships as a way to start my career. At school, I always found practical training to be the most effective way to learn, therefore, undertaking an apprenticeship felt the ideal route into a career in IT for me. It allows me to learn hands-on in a full-time role, while also gaining additional knowledge in regular external training weeks outside of work.
I currently work as an IT Helpdesk Apprentice in our London office and, so far, it has been a great experience that has exposed me to a variety of different tasks. From buying new stock, to auditing and fixing the software and hardware. I’ve been given excellent support from the rest of the IT team who have assisted me with all aspects of working in an IT department. This includes learning specific technical skills, but also behavioural skills, such as how to talk users through common fixes so they are able to fix the problem themselves in the future. The external training courses build on these skills, while also teaching me the theory behind how the systems and software work. The lessons are always very well organised in both content and the communication between me and my training provider.
I would recommend an apprenticeship to anyone who enjoys learning on the job and in a working environment, rather than in a classroom. The practical experience I have gained is not only useful in my current role, but will also be highly beneficial moving forward in my career in IT, giving me a well-rounded view of both the practical and theoretical elements of IT.
I’ve really enjoyed my time at Steer so far. Everyone has been very supportive of my training and development, and there’s always someone available to help me if I ever have any issues.