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I went straight into my first apprenticeship at level 3, one month after finishing my A levels, but before I got my results. From the minute school started pushing us to decide on what we wanted to do, I knew university wasn’t for me. I was still very unsure of the career I wanted, which made it difficult to think about my next steps. I was worried I was going to be left behind with no direction o
I was the black sheep in my family. Everyone else seemed to be doing well - my siblings were thriving in school or sixth form, my friends all had plans, goals, structure. Meanwhile, I was doing nothing. My routine was simple: wake up, turn on my PC and play games all day. It was the one place I felt in control - a world where nothing was expected of me, and losing didn't feel real. Before th
In 2019, I returned to London without a law degree, no clear plan, and a growing fear that I had wasted years chasing the wrong dream. What was supposed to be straightforward had unravelled and I started to question everything. I still wanted to become a lawyer, but I had no idea how. I just knew I couldn’t give up yet. I took a job as a Personal Assistant in a cancer treatment hospital during the
Throughout all of high school and college, it was well-known among my peers and teachers that I had big dreams of going to a top university to study law. Fast forward three years and I am halfway through my solicitor apprenticeship with DLA Piper. Hi, my name is Sophie, and I am a fourth-year solicitor apprentice with DLA Piper. If someone had told me five years ago that this is the position I wou
When I look back now, apprenticeships haven’t just been part of my journey – they’ve been everything. They are woven into who I am professionally, the values I carry, and the way I respond to challenges. I want to share how it all started, what I learnt, and some messages I hope others can take with them if they’re considering this path. From Youth Parliament to Something Bigger My story begins qu
Yes, I got fired at my first apprenticeship not too long ago… but let me give you some background. Junior Professional Tennis Player From the age of 6, it was set Tennis will be my future, ever since PE class in primary school found out I had a talent, it was non-stop playing from there. My dad became my coach, he had the same story as me, started boxing young and became pro. So, it was me and him
Apprenticeships as are unique as the individuals taking them; I was able to use mine to fit me perfectly by meeting my needs whilst also allowing me to learn and progress. Challenges in Application process My sixth form was university focussed; therefore, they didn’t provide me with any support/guidance. They discouraged me from applying for apprenticeships, so I independently researched into Lega
I received my GCSE results just as the world was beginning to emerge from the COVID period. Like many others, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do next, so I chose to go to sixth form. It felt like the natural next step, but after one year, I realised it wasn’t the right fit for me. So that summer, I began researching my options. That’s when I stumbled across apprenticeships. As I only had GCSEs at t
One thing I’ve learned is this: you can’t eat the elephant all in one go 🐘. Take small steps, stay focused, trust the process and never lose sight of the goal. Sometimes, just stepping back and looking at your journey from a fresh perspective helps you figure out your next move. So, here’s mine—and I hope it helps you with yours. 👋 Introduction Hey! I’m Hasiba Nawaz, and I’m coming to the end of m
When I first heard about degree apprenticeships, I genuinely thought it was a scam. It was during the COVID lockdown, somewhere between endless online classes and hours of screen time, that I stumbled across the concept. Get paid to study for a degree, gain real-world experience, and graduate debt-free? It seemed too good to be true - so why wasn’t everyone talking about it? Looking back, that que
After a long and determined journey, I’m proud to be joining Unilever as a Level 6 Chartered Management Degree Apprentice. Unilever is one of the largest FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) companies in the world, and landing this opportunity wasn’t easy. I applied for over 20 apprenticeships across different industries, got through to several final interviews and was lucky enough to receive a
If you told me this time last year that I would be preparing to start a solicitor apprenticeship, I probably would have laughed. Not because it wasn’t something I wanted, becoming a solicitor has been my goal and what I have been working towards since Year 8. But because at that time, life looked very different. I was dealing with health issues, uncertain about what the future would hold, and ques
Over 40% of all school-leavers are interested in apprenticeships (UCAS) but 38% of all school leavers face a lack of apprenticeships opportunities in their local area (Co-op). For me, this statistic was incredibly relevant because while many apprentices find roles that keep them close to home, my apprenticeship relocated me over 200 miles away to London where I became a Management Consulting Degre
In 2020 we all found ourselves in the very same position. Locked down and with limited options. At the time I was an Assistant Manager at my local cinema, loved my job and the team and it was an amazing part of the local community. I worked here while my husband worked in Insurance and we balanced shifts with looking after our two daughters. Of course with COVID-19 that meant furlough and it
Whenever I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer changed more often than the British weather. One month I dreamed of being a firefighter, the next a pilot. I even considered becoming an accountant at some point because of my love for maths. Through all those ambitions, two things remained constant: my obsession with anything that had wheels or wings, and my love for solving probl
