Joshua, Finance

What is your role?

Finance Apprentice

When did you start here?

I started in September 2022.

Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship?

I was told by others who work in finance that working will be better than going to university. I also didn’t really want to go to uni'.

Did you come with GCSEs or A Levels?

I came with GCSEs, an A-level in maths and 2 BTECs for IT and Business.

Did you have a clear idea of what you wanted to do?

As soon as I did my first business lesson, I knew that I wanted to pursue this as a career.

Why did you decide to work here?

It’s a unique experience working for a council. Lots of experienced people around me too. I knew that would help me develop.

What did you know about the council before you joined and what have you learnt about it so far?

I did not know much about the council before I joined, to be honest. I knew of it but never really what they do. Now I see it is a wide spread of departments for everything in the area.

What apprenticeship are you undertaking, and do you have future plans?

I am currently doing the finance apprenticeship. My plans are to work in finance. I am hoping that over the next year I can learn about each area and decide the one that is best for me.

What do you enjoy about working here?

The people. Everyone is so social and very easy to talk to. Everyone is nice and understanding and I just enjoy working with these types of people.

Apart from your apprenticeship, have you had other opportunities to learn and develop, job-shadow or to be involved in different projects?

I was tasked to make a detailed Excel spreadsheet for the Car Parking Tickets. It took me a while and a lot of data, but I eventually got everything sorted. It is a project that I am so proud I completed.

What advice would you give to future applicants?

Don’t be afraid of calling people. It may seem hard at first but eventually it gets easier and becomes more natural.