Ahead of National Apprenticeship Week, HR Coordinator Humera Akhtar shares how apprenticeships have been pivotal in developing her career.
Many of our colleagues at GC are actively enhancing their skills through training programmes. If you're interested in advancing your career, speak to your line manager to explore whether an apprenticeship could be the right path for you.
What were your interests when you were at school?
When I was younger I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do. I knew that I was good with IT and I always thought maybe that would be a big part of my career, especially the process-driven stuff.
So, when I left high school, and I was looking for jobs and college courses, I was applying for anything related to IT. Unfortunately, there were no IT courses at college at the time so a careers advisor recommended some admin courses. This led to me applying for a Business Admin level 2 course with GC Education and Skills, Skills Solution as it was known back then.
They found me a role at a company called Self Storage Tameside, where I completed the Level 2 Business Admin Apprenticeship. I started the apprenticeship in 2015 and finished it in 2016. But then I didn't really know what I wanted to do. I stayed in the role that I was in, but I knew that I wanted to progress. However, it was only a small company that I was working at, with about 15 employees so progression was limited. I reached out to my tutor for some guidance on next steps. I explained that I was happy to stay within admin at that point and she suggested doing the Level 3 apprenticeship.
I finished my level 3 in 2018. During this time, I was working closely with a colleague in HR and I really enjoyed that side of the business so this sparked an interest in working in HR. I started to look at how I could upskill within the business by working closely with the HR team.This led to me taking on a customer service manager role at Self Storage Tameside and I stayed there for six years.
Tell us about the start of your career journey at the Growth Company
After 6 years at Self Storage Tameside, I got to a point where I felt like I had done what I could within the company and there was no more upskilling for me to do so I decided to look for my next step. The first place I wanted to look was the Growth Company because this is where it all started with my level 2 apprenticeship.
There was a compliance role that was being advertised. Although I wasn't directly involved in compliance in my role before, I was always checking policies and procedures and making sure they were up to date. So I thought I'll give it a shot and I’m so pleased I did as I got the compliance officer role working on the Work and Health programme.
When the Work and Health Programme was coming to an end, I got on the redeployment scheme and I found two jobs that were similar to what I wanted to do. One was a team support coordinator, and another was a finance and payroll administrator with Aspire. I interviewed for both and I actually got offered both roles, but because I wanted to get into HR, I thought the best option for me would be to get into payroll and finance.
While I was with Aspire, I spoke to my manager and explained that I really wanted to get into HR. My managers supported me with what I needed to progress with that career goal. I did my own research and realised that as much as I had a bit of experience, I really needed some sort of qualification and so they helped me get onto a Level 3 CIPD course. My manager also reached out to the internal recruitment team and informed them that I was doing my CIPD and could they let me know of any HR opportunities that became available.
I remember I had been on my honeymoon, it was my first day back in work and my manager told me that a HR role had become available that I might be interested in. I took a look at the job role and it was exactly what I wanted. I applied for it and now I am in a HR coordinator role.
In terms of next steps at GC, I want to get onto the level 5 course once I complete level 3. I’m not yet sure what part of HR I want to get into, but hopefully, with the support of my manager, I can decide what field I want to get into.
What do you love most about working for the Growth Company?
The main reason why I started working at GC is because of the values. The values are not just the way I work, but I portray them in my personal life as well, and that's the main reason.
I love the fact that GC helps businesses to grow and makes an actual positive difference. You know it made a positive difference in my life, I can say that 100% and I’m now able to make a positive difference in other people's lives. I might not be doing it directly, but being a part of the bigger picture means a lot to me.
What surprised me with GC, what I think stands out, is the way colleagues are with each other and just having that culture where it's really friendly and you can talk to one another and turn to each other, including managers, for support.
I really feel that at GC, our managers want to help us to learn and to grow. They take their time to understand where you want to be and they help you along that career path.
What would you say to someone who is considering doing an apprenticeship?
I would always encourage people to do an apprenticeship. You get the hands-on experience and you get the support from your tutor as well. I think at that time, when you're coming out of school, you still need that support and guidance, someone that you can go to if you've got any problems.
For me, when I left school, I didn’t know where my career should go and having that support and being able to talk to someone who is in that field was such a big help. My tutor listened to me and provided advice on the career paths I could go down based on my interests, encouraged me to do my research on the various options and then we went from there.
For me, it was a great experience, which is why I went on to complete 2 apprenticeships and now I’m doing my third one.