What was the transition like from being an apprentice to being a permanent Direct Air employee?
I really enjoyed my apprenticeship as it taught me skills which are vital for working in an office-based environment and I was able to implement them into my permanent role. Completing the course meant I was able to concentrate all of my time and effort into my work, allowing room for further progression and my new responsibilities. Some of these tasks include gathering all required assets to ensure Direct Air are successfully gaining and renewing company accreditations, as well as conducting H&S company inductions and distributing H&S training courses, plus lots more!
The apprenticeship has helped to improve my confidence so that I’m now able to happily conduct team activities such as toolbox talks with the engineers. I’m excited to continue growing my independence and developing through tasks like this in my permanent role.
How was the permanent role approached?
After completing my apprenticeship and receiving the final grade, a meeting was booked in with my Managing Director to discuss my next steps and my new job role, including new responsibilities I’d be taking on. Being responsible for coordinating COSHH assessments, RAMS documents as well as fire checks are just a few additional tasks which were proposed for my permanent role.
Following this explanation of what would be expected in my new position, I was offered the permanent role of HSQE Administrator, which I happily accepted!
Do you feel like the apprenticeship contributed to helping you work to the best of your ability in your permanent role?
Going into the apprenticeship, I wasn’t sure what to expect as I’d never enrolled on a course where I would be continuing my education whilst gaining on-the-job experience. The apprenticeship enabled me to ease into a working lifestyle as I still had studying to do which was something I was used to and comfortable doing at the time. Also, having the ability to earn money alongside the learning really was the best of both worlds!
The course taught me invaluable skills which I was able to carry through to my permanent role within Direct Air.
Will you be continuing your education throughout your permanent position?
I’ll always be looking into continuing my education and continuing my professional development. Which is why I am currently working on completing my NEBOSH National General Certificate qualification, with the hopes of achieving a high pass grade. I’m really looking forward to receiving my results for this in February!
What is your favourite thing about being in your new permanent role?
My favourite thing about being in my permanent position is the encouragement it gives me to continue striving for what I want to achieve, as being given the role reinforces that all the hard work I put into my apprenticeship has paid off. It’s also made me aware of how capable I am, as prior to my apprenticeship I didn’t realise I had the potential to take on all of the responsibilities I do now.
As well as resulting in the job role its self, I feel like the apprenticeship has given me time to get to know the whole Direct Air team as I’ve had to go to different colleagues with various questions and queries. I’m excited to continue my development at Direct Air alongside the rest of the team.