Apprentice Stories
Dan – Business Administration Apprentice, Now IT Operations Support Officer
I joined the Council in 2014 as an apprentice in the Estates and Economic Development Service, Studying Level 3 Business Administration
In Estates, I was responsible for administering the room booking system which involved booking conference rooms and Council venues such as Andover Guildhall and Crosfield Hall in Romsey. I was also responsible for administering the Business Incentive Grant and Independent Retailer Grants for start-up businesses.
When I moved to IT in April 2016, I began working on the Service Desk, logging tickets, and fixing faults for both Test Valley and Winchester City Council users, as the IT department is a shared service.
The reason I chose to do an apprenticeship is because I liked the idea of learning whilst working as the two coincide with each other. I studied IT for two years at Andover College before the apprenticeship, so the chance to do an apprenticeship at Test Valley Borough Council with the College I had been studying at made perfect sense. When I saw the vacancy for the Council, it was a no-brainer, and I applied straight away as it’s a big organization and would be a great path for my development.
Over the last couple of years, I have developed my skills even further and started a new role within the IT service. My new role is IT Operations Support Officer, and this role involves dealing with the hardware (laptops, mobiles, and PCs) of both Test Valley and Winchester City Council, as well as being involved in multiple projects per year.
I have also become an apprenticeship mentor, helping new apprentices settle into the organization by having regular catchups and offering any advice I can, having been in the position myself.
Test Valley is an amazing place to work with amazing people but the most important thing for me is that I learn something new every day.
My advice would be to take up every opportunity to try something new once you are in the role and keep trying to further your knowledge within the service you are a part of.