An Evening with an Apprentice

Review by Sapphire (GR/Year 13)

On 30 April, a group of aspiring and inquisitive senior students interested in degree apprenticeships were joined by a panel of degree apprentices, courtesy of the Black Apprentice Network, in the Christ’s Hospital Theatre.

The degree apprentices came from accredited companies including KPMG, Bank of America, Amazon, IBM and Goldman Sachs, and just some of the careers represented included software engineering, audit, business management and digital and technology solutions.

Students asked questions about the application process for degree apprenticeships, the positives (and negatives) of balancing work with a university degree, parents’ attitudes towards degree apprenticeship offers, and how to begin networking and building one’s own portfolio. The experts were engaging and humorous and the panel discussion was well-received by the seniors in attendance, who fully engaged with the experiences each member of the panel provided. Many members of the panel had a background in STEM, however there was also mention of careers in law and the arts too.

Most importantly, the discussion was also based around increasing equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, furthering support for those from minority backgrounds to be better acknowledged amongst colleagues and improving social mobility; a very topical issue. Having done A levels (or equivalent) around the height of the pandemic, the panel of experts provided a visceral but inspiring perspective of their time in their respective roles following the pandemic and the issues it caused, plus personal opinions on their journey to their current roles.

A truly unforgettable evening with some amazing guests.