Information Communications Technician Completes His Apprenticeship

How have you found the apprenticeship here at SOCOTEC?

Overall, I enjoyed my apprenticeship here at SOCOTEC, it gave me the opportunity to gain work experience whilst also gaining the knowledge, skills and behaviours that are needed to be able to pursue a career in IT.

What did your programme entail?

My programme consisted of three coursework projects which made up my portfolio, the projects required me to write about tickets I had completed showcasing my knowledge and skills required to resolve each one.

My End Point Assessment (EPA) consisted of another project where I had to write about a ticket I completed showing my knowledge and skills around hardware/software upgrades, using system tools and being cyber secure. Then I had an interview discussion on both this project and my portfolio where they test my knowledge on the topics that were covered in the projects.

What are your next steps for your career?

My next step is to complete the level four Network Engineer apprenticeship which I have now started.

Would you recommend an apprenticeship at SOCOTEC?

I would as you are able to learn and gain the skills you need for your role whilst gaining work experience which will be valuable in the future.

What accomplishment have you achieved during your programme that you are most proud of and why?

I am proud of my overall grade of a merit because I put a lot of effort into my coursework and preparation for my EPA.

I am also proud of the work I did in the Sophos (anti-virus) migration project that I was involved in. Where I tested different ways of migrating to the new anti-virus and deciding which method would be the best method in terms of speed and complexity. I successfully migrated hundreds of machines to the new anti-virus system.

What advice would you give to our current apprentices?

The best piece of advice I would give is to manage and prioritise your workload. This will ensure that you complete the most important tasks first and are able to manage what you are doing and are aware of what you have still got to do without the workload becoming overwhelming.

What is your new job title and what are your responsibilities?

My next role will be IT Infrastructure Technician where I will be completing third line IT support tickets which are more complex as well as configuring, supporting and maintaining SOCOTEC’s network infrastructure and systems to meet the company’s needs.