This National Apprenticeship Week we wanted to take a moment to shine a light on some of the brilliant apprentices who have become an integral part of our team here at Retail Response. University isn’t always the right option for everyone which is why we’ve embraced local apprenticeship schemes, including Leeds City College’s Networking Academy, to hone in on the best talent our region has to offer.
Bench Technician George Mayfield joined us in 2015 as part of Leeds City College’s Networking Academy apprenticeship scheme.
“I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go to University and I couldn’t really find a course that interested me, so when I looked online and saw that I could do an apprenticeship it seemed like a good option. A friend of mine was also in the process of completing an apprenticeship and he had a really positive experience, so I felt like it could be a positive choice for me too.”
Throughout his two year apprenticeship, George the majority of time training to be a Bench Technician in our on-site repair centre and a number of weeks on block release at college developing his skills in installation, configuration and troubleshooting computers, mobile devices and software. As well as learning the technical skills needed for the job, George has found that working in our repair centre has equipped him with communication skills that he likely wouldn’t have learned at University.
“I’ve really enjoyed being able to learn on the job – it has meant that my training has been less condensed, and my days are much more varied than they would be in a classroom environment. I’ve learnt invaluable communication skills as well; I regularly pick up the phone to customers and Field Technicians and I also write documents and scripts for our Field Technicians to follow when completing installations and builds.”
Now a fully qualified Bench Technician, George is an essential member of our repairs team. He would recommend the apprenticeship route to anyone who is unsure as to whether University is the right path for them.
“For me, it’s been a brilliant pathway into the IT industry and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is nearing towards to the end of school and unsure of their next steps.”