5S Technologies are proud to support Apprentices.
This Year we have taken on our third Apprentice.

At this time of year all over the country, we have confused 15/16-year-olds, whose bubble called “School” is about to burst. They are about to sit their GCSEs’ and the pressure is setting in.

For some it’s a time to shine, a time they will relish, a time they will see all their years of hard work, of late nights finishing their homework, of parents nagging them night and day. Finally, they will reach a goal they have spent 11 years getting too!

For some, the pressure can be too much. They keep being asked; “What do you want to do?”, “What A-levels are you thinking of studying?”, “What BTEC do you want to do?”, “Which is better A-levels or BTECs?”, “Should you go to college or sixth form, if so where?

As a result, some of these young adults are the ones who may take the long path and end up experimenting in lots of different sectors/spending loads of time and money before they can settle on what they want to do. So much pressure is on these young adults at such an early age.

However, on the upside, a 16-year-old student who knows what they want will take an apprenticeship These young adults will thrive in this environment. Yes they are young. With the right mentoring these maturing adults will become our future given the chance they will revitalize businesses for the better.

It’s never too late to take on an apprentice. All over the country, 16-24 year olds can be given the opportunity to be ready for work! Some may have chosen to complete their A-Levels and BTECs first, and have now decided that working and learning is the best future for them.

Employers have the power to invest in these young adults and help them by giving them the opportunity to work, therefore giving them knowledge in their sector. If these Apprentices are lucky enough you, the employer, can invest in them to work and study at university to get their qualifications. This is the best life skill these young adults can achieve – to be employable! This without a doubt puts them so far ahead of a graduate from university who has had no work experience at all. They may have the degree but are they employable immediately? An apprentice will stand out in a crowd to prospective employers.

The advantage of an apprenticeship which out ways all other decisions is the “hands-on” learning. It is a proven fact that there is nothing more advantageous than getting your “hands dirty”, seeing the theory of the classroom be proven in the real world, learning from mistakes made, there is nothing more rewarding than watching confidences and knowledge grow.

Whether an apprenticeship is taken in manufacturing, engineering, plumbing, hotel and leisure, child care or IT from the moment they begin, they are in the real world, earning, learning, evolving and adapting to a life outside of school.

Sam Hawkes adds;

“To take on an Apprentice, as an employer, you just need to ensure you have fully trained staff within your organisation that are patient, understanding, knowledgeable and encouraging.with this in place you are ready to embark on the rewarding experience of training for the future”.

Let me introduce you to Our Apprentices’

Josh Lawrence, Tom Griffin and Jasmine Sanderson

Tom came to us two years ago as an apprentice and is now employed by 5S Technologies full time. Tom is now firmly in a position to help train our new apprentices alongside his role within our customer support team. Tom has completed a Diploma in ICT Professional Competence also has a Certificate in ICT Systems and principles and he studied at LMPQ and Worcester College of Technology.

Tom states; “For me, it made sense to start an apprenticeship scheme, as I would be able to gain knowledge and experience while earning money. As a result, I have now got a full-time job in something that I enjoy. Since working at 5S Technologies I have learnt invaluable IT skills from my colleagues; such as SQL and FoxPro, dealing with troubleshooting customer queries, managing databases, as well as growing in confidence and believing in myself. Alongside this I have gained IT knowledge in maintaining PC’s, implementing hardware and operating different types of software and identifying risks in IT. I have also helped to design our website, support marketing with IT issues, logos, designs, and email campaigns. There is still a lot more to learn here at 5S Technologies as there is always a new job that needs sorting!”

Josh is currently 18 years old and is studying Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship Diploma in ICT Professional Competence as well as MTA Server and MTA Networking exams at the Heart of Worcestershire College. Josh was extremely quiet and shy when he started, and took some time to come “out of his shell”. Now he is confident and is able to deal with our customers in our support department professionally and knowledgeably.

Josh comments; “An apprenticeship has allowed me to learn new skills that are relevant to the field I am interested in. It has helped me to gain workplace skills alongside my studies, enabling me to put theory into practice. Since working at MIE I have expanded my knowledge within the IT sector – with SQL Databases, Managing customer data and troubleshooting customer issues. As well as gaining experience with using different software packages, which has enabled me to gain a greater understanding of computer networks. This experience will ensure that the skills I learn will progress me further within the IT sector for the future”

Jasmine our third apprentice started with us in November 2015. Jas is studying; Advanced IT Course Level 3 at The Heart of Worcestershire College. Jas is an extremely confident 18-year old that has shown huge potential already. She is very creative and is already making positive changes within the office.

Jas adds; “With an apprenticeship, I’m actually learning what I need to know within a working environment. Not just sitting in a classroom/lecture hall learning theoretical information that I may not even be using within my chosen job. My main ambition is to become a qualified software programmer/designer, as I’ve always enjoyed writing my own coding and seeing how it looks when I run it (even when it fails and excessive frustration kicks in!). I would like to learn SQL in depth and be able to know my way around MIE Trak like the back of my hand!”

Chris Mann concludes;

“We take pride in knowing that we have influenced young adults in taking their first steps onto the employment ladder. With the experiences gained they can confidently grow and develop within the world of IT. Any future employer they may want to go to will feel confident in employing them, not only for their knowledge and qualifications but they will be assured that these apprentices will go to them confident and experienced to deal with the working environment”.