Emily's working journey

After joining Direct Air in May 2025, Emily has now qualified in her Level 3 Business Admin Apprenticeship. As Emily successfully passed the course and showcased her positive work ethic throughout the apprenticeship, her position now stands permanent as Direct Air’s Service Administrator.

What was the transition like from being an apprentice to being a permanent Direct Air employee?

The transition from being an apprentice to becoming a permanent Direct Air employee was a really positive experience. During my apprenticeship, I had the opportunity to learn the business, develop my skills and gain practical experience, so I was already very familiar with the team and the way things worked.

Moving into a permanent role gave me more responsibility and independence, but I felt well supported throughout the transition. It was rewarding to see how much I had developed during my apprenticeship and to be given the opportunity to continue growing my career with Direct Air.

Being newly qualified, I haven’t had chance to delve very deeply into my role yet. However, in the upcoming months I know I’ll get chance to properly put the skills I’ve learnt throughout my apprenticeship into place.

How was the permanent role approached?

Towards the end of my apprenticeship, the opportunity to stay with Direct Air permanently was discussed with me. We spoke about the progress I had made throughout my apprenticeship, how my responsibilities had developed and what the next step could look like for me within the service team.

I was really pleased to be offered a permanent position as a Service Administrator. Over the course of my apprenticeship, I had become much more confident in my role, taken on more responsibility and felt like I had become a valued part of the team.

As I had really enjoyed my time at Direct Air and already knew the team and the role well, accepting the permanent position felt like a natural next step and a great opportunity to continue developing my career.

Do you feel like the apprenticeship contributed to helping you work to the best of your ability in your permanent role?

Yes, definitely. The apprenticeship gave me a strong foundation of knowledge and experience, which has helped me feel more confident in my permanent role. It helped me develop my communication, organisation and teamwork skills, as well as giving me a better understanding of how the business works. I also became more confident in taking on responsibility and working independently, which has helped me perform to the best of my ability in my current role.

Will you be continuing your education throughout your permanent position?

I’d like to continue developing within my role and gradually take on more responsibility as I gain more experience. I’m also interested in learning more about other areas of the business and understanding how the different teams work together.

I’d definitely be open to completing relevant courses and training alongside my role. I think this would be a good way to build on what I’ve learnt during my apprenticeship, develop new skills and broaden my knowledge of the business.

For now, I’m looking forward to continuing to learn within the service team and seeing where I can progress in the future.

What is your favourite thing about being in your new permanent role?

My favourite thing about being in my permanent role is having more responsibility and feeling like I can make a bigger contribution to the service team and the wider business.

I also enjoy that there are always new things to learn and different challenges to take on. Since starting my apprenticeship, I’ve gained a lot more confidence and knowledge, so it’s rewarding to look back at how far I’ve come.

I’m looking forward to building on that experience, learning more about the business and continuing my career with Direct Air.