Here at MCC, we have many Apprentices and each one of them play a huge role in our team. We have decided to interview Matt Fleming, our IT Services Manager, about the benefits an apprenticeship can have.
The first question that we asked Matt was:
How do you support Apprentices at MCC Digital?
Matt replied saying “At MCC I want to do everything I can to help our apprentices succeed. Part of my role is to ensure our apprentices have the time and support they need to complete their coursework alongside their day-to-day tasks. I want our apprentices to feel valued and a true part of the team. They’re involved in our regular team meetings, and we are always looking for ways to help them get involved in new projects, especially if relevant to their chosen course speciality, this could be in Networking, Cloud Technologies or Advanced Troubleshooting.”
“Regular check-ins with both our apprentices and the course provider help us to ensure they are on track and help me to identify any areas where I need to find ways to provide extra support.”
“If the Apprentice excels in their role, we’re able to offer permanent positions and even further studying opportunities at the end of the course.”
We then asked Matt;
How do apprentices support you and the IT department?
“In IT Services we offer two types of apprenticeship placements. We have IT Support Technicians who will learn the fundamentals of the world of IT Support, currently they can choose to focus on either network infrastructure or cloud technologies. While studying with us they also act as our first line of customer support, helping to resolve problems where possible and writing up details to be escalated to other technicians if needed.”
“Secondly, we offer Business Administration placements, we’re excited to have someone join in this role later this month. As an IT Services Administrator they help with all aspects of initial customer service, keeping our tickets up to date, reporting to management and arranging any shipments that might be required by our customers.”
Students can sometimes get worried when trying to choose the next footpath for themselves. Do they want to go University, or do they want an Apprenticeship? It isn’t always an easy decision.
We asked Matt what the benefits are of enrolling on an apprenticeship, and this is what he said;
“I think enrolling on an apprenticeship is a fantastic way to learn
more about the industry you are interested in. At the same time as studying you are gaining real world experience as part of team. For me, so much of IT Services is about the customer experience, not just learning how IT systems work.”
“I’ve found that the best way to gain the skills and knowledge needed to provide people with a great IT experience is to spend time solving real work problems, working on real world projects, all whilst underpinning your experience with the classroom practice and knowledge that an apprenticeship provides.”
“Your time is valuable, and an apprenticeship offers a way to earn whilst working towards a qualification that will set you up for a successful career.”
The duration of an Apprenticeship differs on the Level. Out Level 3 Apprenticeship courses take around 15 months to complete and as Matt said at the beginning, you have an opportunity to have a permanent position with us or you can continue further studying after them 15 months.
Lastly, we asked Matt:
What advice would you give someone applying for an apprenticeship?
“First of all, go for it! I think they are a great opportunity.’ He replied with much enthusiasm.
“Demand for placements is always high so a good application is key to getting through to an interview. Share your accomplishments in education and any experiences you’ve gained through jobs you’ve had. I would say that I see a number of applications that talk about an interest in computers, but I think it’s equally important to remember that so much about working in IT Services can be about working with users to help them get their jobs done.”
“Interviews are a discussion; I want to learn more about the candidate but it’s always great to hear what candidates want to know about us. Try to be prepared, we see a lot of applicants who sadly haven’t taken any time to research who MCC are and what we do, and it shows. Taking the initiative is a great skill to have and things like knowing a little bit about the company you are applying to work for goes a long way to demonstrating this.”
At MCC Digital, we have an opportunity for you to join us as an IT Technician Apprentice. Have a look at what the apprenticeship offers and apply today.