07Feb
National Apprenticeship Week: Robert Poole, Team Leading apprentice
We continue to celebrate our colleagues who we have successfully completed their apprenticeship at Gist as part of National Apprenticeship Week.
Robert Poole joined in September 2016 on a Team Leading apprenticeship. Here he explains how an apprenticeship has opened up a career path.
“I finished college and didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I had considered university and apprenticeships and the scheme at Gist looked really interesting. I applied, attended the assessments centre and was lucky enough to get the job.
I really enjoy working at Gist, every day is different which keeps it fresh. I have also completed two secondments to our Enfield and Hemel sites which has given me an opportunity to network and meet other people and the support and help everyone offers is great.
I completed Level 2 during my first year and went onto complete Level 3 of my apprenticeship as part of LEAD, Gist’s internal development programme.
I was among the first 10 people to enroll on LEAD. I spent some time at Head Office in Chineham where I attended five workshops and got to meet the cohort. I’m still in touch with people from the programme via a WhatsApp group. We are all dotted around the network at different sites but if we have a question or want some help, we message each other. I spent some time at our Hemel depot and so it was nice going there knowing I already had some contacts at the site.
I feel my skills have improved no end by completing my apprenticeship. I had never worked for a corporate company before and so when I joined everything was completely new to me.
I have learnt so much and now I am managing a team of people. It was daunting going in as a manager at first but now I’m much more confident.
To anyone considering what to do after school or college, I would advise you to definitely consider all your options. I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do but I bit the bullet and went for an apprenticeship and I haven’t looked back.”