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I started my apprenticeship as a new employee to the Trust in February 2020 and really enjoy my work and contributing to the day-to-day running of the library and knowledge management department in the Charles Hastings Education Centre (CHEC). Helping to supply articles and other educational resources for colleagues makes it feel like I am contributing something important.

My apprenticeship has allowed me to develop my skills in administration, such as increasing my awareness of all aspects of word, PowerPoint, email and excel.  It has developed my confidence significantly – through my many interactions with library users and other members of staff.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as being recently redeployed, I have learnt to quickly adapt to ever-changing situations in regards to workload, home working and the type of work that I am completing. This has required me to be flexible, adaptable and have resilience – all good skills for the future. Through my apprenticeship I have been able to help my team complete tasks and deliver customer service efficiently and effectively. I have been very well supported and reassured that I am a valued member of my team, which encourages me to keep up with my good work. By taking on the general library duties and admin tasks, it has allowed my colleagues to focus on their specialised work rather than being distracted by other admin duties. I have also learnt the importance of the Trust 4Ward values and have been able to help with #puttingpatientsfirst when meeting urgent article requests from doctors would use these to help a patient in need to be treated as soon as they can be.

It was challenging initially to learn all of the new software and processes that the library has, however I had a very supportive team who helped me understand everything. Working from home was slightly challenging initially, partly due to having less contact with my colleagues, however things were put in place quickly to allow us to work just as efficiently as when we are in the office. Overall I am proud of how I have effectively balanced keeping up to date with my coursework and completing it efficiently, whilst also managing my admin duties in the library. There have been very few occasions where I struggled to meet deadlines. I am also proud of how I have developed my confidence. Consistently communicating with colleagues and library users has helped me become more comfortable in approaching people and feeling confident in my own ability to deliver excellent customer service.

Dan’s supervisor Emma Gibbs said: “Over the years the Worcestershire Health Libraries have had the pleasure of employing Apprentices within our team and we have found that there are many benefits as they show a real zest for learning and are extremely hard working. Dan is no exception, and quickly became an integral part of our team and will be sorely missed as he goes forward with his career.  His help and support has been invaluable and that is evident now as he is re-deployed to help another department in the Trust during these unprecedented times.”

I would definitely encourage people to take an apprenticeship as it is a great experience to study for your qualification whilst learning practically on the job. If I were just to study for the qualification, I would still not know what to expect or how to approach situations in a business setting. I would advise to focus your mind on what you are getting out of the apprenticeship. For me, I will be leaving this apprenticeship as a qualified customer service practitioner, as well as having a qualification in business administration which will help me secure future apprenticeships.

After this apprenticeship, I will be looking to pursue a career in accounting. I will hopefully move onto an accounting apprenticeship to kick-start my career in that sector. I am very appreciative and grateful for the guidance and support that I have received from my team and the Trust throughout my whole apprenticeship.