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 quite early. At 14, I was elected Member of Youth Parliament for Norwich South. That role opened my eyes: youth unemployment, mental health, skills gaps – these weren’t abstract issues, they were lived experiences for people I knew. And very early on I knew something about mainstream education didn’t quite fit me anymore – it felt as though I’d outgrown it.

It was in Youth Parliament that I found my passion. My enthusiasm, my commitment to making something better – they all took form there. It was also where someone saw that I was looking beyond the status quo. The person responsible for Youth Parliament introduced me to the Apprenticeship Strategy Manager at Norfolk County Council. I was shown what apprenticeships actually are: how they work, who they serve, what doors they could open. I was instantly sold. And one thought nagged at me: Why wasn’t this information more visible in schools / sixth forms?

First Attempts, First Barriers

My first chance to be an apprentice was for a Business Support apprenticeship. But the pay was just £2.79/hour. Travel would mean going daily from Great Yarmouth to Norwich. Coming from a working‐class family meant that even with early independence, that wage simply wouldn’t cover living, commuting etc. Remember, this was before things like Universal Credit could top‐up apprenticeship wages. So, I had to say no.

It was only 12 months later that a different door opened: a Youth Work apprenticeship. Three days a week with Norfolk County Council promoting apprenticeships, two days with the Benjamin Foundation (a youth work charity). This role married my passions from Youth Parliament: youth, skills, opportunity.

The Intense Interview, Early Success & Big Moments

Getting that apprenticeship wasn’t easy. The process was intense: an eight-page application form, a three-day assessment centre, then the interview, then a presentation, all under the pressure of BBC Look East filming. At 16, I was the youngest candidate – but I decided to use that. I leaned in on what I could bring, my passion, my experience in Youth Parliament. I was one of four selected.

And things moved fast. I finished my apprenticeship early, in 19 months. I won “Apprentice Youth Worker of the Year” at the College of West Anglia. And five months afterwards, expecting my first child, I was promoted: Apprenticeship Adviser at Norfolk County Council. Then came a secondment to Norfolk Community Learning Services as Employer Engagement Officer. By 19, I was Apprenticeship Strategy Coordinator, managing a team and leading the Apprenticeships Norfolk Network.

Pain, Change, and Resilience

But it hasn’t all been smooth. Twelve months later, my contract wasn’t renewed. On top of that, I lost my father to cancer. These were huge blows. Still, I held onto what I believed in: apprenticeships, skills, making a difference. Through research, persistence, and the support I could muster, I secured a role as Enterprise Coordinator for New Anglia LEP and welcomed our second child into the world.

I even began a Level 4 Associate Project Management Apprenticeship then but couldn’t continue it – contract extension funding didn’t come through in time.

Yet the passion never left.

Shaping Opportunity & Making Impact

I moved into the role of Apprenticeship Programme Manager at Flagship Group. I used what I’d learnt – both as someone who’d been an apprentice, and someone who’s worked across policy, employer engagement, youth charities – to shape their apprenticeship and work-based learning programmes. Under my time there: we won Large Apprenticeship Employer of the Year (twice) at the Apprenticeship Norfolk Awards, Large Employer of the Year at the East of England Apprenticeship Awards, plus recognition for recruitment and excellence.

Life happens – after COVID, our rental property was sold, and my family and I were made homeless for a time (fortunately we could stay with parents). Being in a very competitive housing market with a young family, I was struggling. Fortunately, we were able to move into a property of our own after a tough 7 months.

Then came a move to the National Tennis Association, following hitting a low point where my passion for everything – career, skills, self-belief – felt like it was slipping, and still hadn’t picked up. Tennis and sports were always an outlet for me.

However, after leaving Flagship Group in that season, it really reminded me what apprenticeships, work-based learning and skills always meant to me. Tennis for me, remained a hobby.

Now I’m the Partnership Manager at Moore Networking Ltd building partnerships with public sector organisations, VCSE organisations and Training Providers for both TrAC and Enable Futures (not-for-profit Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Agencies), where we have been recognised for our apprenticeship and skills impact towards social mobility, being locally and nationally recognised. I’m in my second year of a Chartered Business Management Degree Apprenticeship. I’ve just got married and expecting our third child (and believe it or not – I think he/she is our final one!).

Volunteering, Recognition & Giving Back

It wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t mention how much being part of the sector beyond paid work has shaped me:

• Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (first as Norfolk Lead, now Apprentice Chair of the East of England).
• Council Member, then National Vice-Chair, at the Association of Apprentices.
• Former Chair of the Housing & Property Management Trailblazer Group; now Chair of the Business Administration (Level 3) Trailblazer Group.
• Apprenticeship Officer for City College Norwich Student Union.
• Course-Lead for the Chartered Management Degree Apprenticeship (CMDA) in my year group.

Along the way, I’ve been honoured to receive:

• National Apprenticeship Champion of the Year 2024 at the AAC Awards (now ATA)
• Apprenticeship Champion of the Year 2023 at the East of England Apprenticeship Awards
• Finalist for Skills Champion of the Year 2024 (East of England Apprenticeship Awards)
• Finalist for Degree Apprentice of the Year (East of England Apprenticeship Awards)

Top Tips & What Drives Me

From everything I’ve been through, here are my key messages – what I believe apprenticeship-hopefuls and current apprentices need to hear:

1. Information is power – Seek it out. Don’t wait for it to be given. In my early days, school / sixth form didn’t offer what I needed. I found out through Youth Parliament. Educational establishments have got better at providing careers information but seeking it out will put you ahead of the game.
2. Be bold in your ambition – Even at 14, I knew I cared about youth unemployment, mental health, skills. Let your early concerns guide you. Passion is a powerful compass.
3. Don’t let low pay or barriers silence you – If something doesn’t add up financially or logistically, that doesn’t mean you give up – but it does mean you need to find allies, ask questions, explore alternatives. It may not mean you can’t access that opportunity, but do you research around Universal Credit, Council Tax exemption etc.
4. Use being young (or “different”) as strength – I was youngest in many situations. I used that. I let it highlight my hunger, my fresh perspective, my drive.
5. Always be ready to learn & adapt – Some opportunities may need you to stretch yourself (intense application processes, working in hybrid / new environments). Take them.
6. Build your support network – Mentors, managers, peers, voluntary roles. When things are hard (and they will be), you need people you can lean on.
7. Give back – Volunteering, representation, leadership: these don’t just help others. They help you sharpen your skills, clarify your purpose, and build credibility.

Why Apprenticeships are More than a Route

It’s not simply that apprenticeships offer qualifications, experience, or a paycheque. What they do is teach resilience. They give you agency over your career. They force you to show up, even when options feel few. They connect you with communities. They open doors that weren’t even on the map when you thought you had to follow the “traditional route.”

For me, apprenticeships, technical education, work-based learning and skills are the DNA of what I do, how I think, how I hope. They are embedded in every role I take, every decision I make, every recognition I’m honoured with. And I hope that by telling this story, someone else reading this might feel yes, this is possible. Yes, I can build something bigger. Yes, my path doesn’t have to follow someone else’s.

If you’re reading, considering, in the middle of an apprenticeship, or deciding just now – I see you. It’s not always easy. But it’s worth it. And it can change everything.

Kieren Buxton

Apprenticeship Training & Partnership Manager for Moore Networking/TrAC/Enable Futures, East of England Apprenticeship Ambassador Network Co-Chair and AoA Council Vice-Chair

You can find out more and connect with Kieren on LinkedIn.