Hi I’m Yusuf Patel. I’m currently working as a Senior Administrator for National Highways and before this I was doing a level 4 project management apprenticeship with them also. The journey to get to where I am now has not been easy, but it’s been very rewarding. Self-doubt is something that I’ve had a lot of, however I’ve been able to prove myself wrong eventually each time.
The Beginning
I finished Secondary School in 2020 and was part of the COVID year of students known for not sitting their GCSE’s. Choosing to do a BTEC wasn’t as simple as there was a perception of whether its highly regarded as A Levels and if companies will choose BTEC students to do an apprenticeship as this was raised to me a few times. Despite all this I knew that it was the right thing for me personally and that there were routes for progression with a BTEC.
The search for an Apprenticeship
Ever since I was 14, I had wanted to do an apprenticeship after finding out what they were as I believe that they hold more advantages compared to going to university. I spent a lot of time in my first year of college researching and understanding different careers and industries by attending virtual webinars and insight days hosted by a range of different companies.
As soon as I began my second year of college, I began searching and applying for apprenticeships. I knew that securing an apprenticeship wasn’t going to be easy, but I didn’t let that put me off as I knew that it was the right thing for me. Knowing how hard it would be to get an apprenticeship and experiencing how hard it would be to get one were two completely different things. The hunt to find an apprenticeship was one of the biggest challenges I had faced. Having to read emails hoping that you had passed onto the next stage of the application process or that you had received an offer from a company to do an apprenticeship only to find out that you had been rejected was hard. The month was May 2022, and I had originally hoped to have received at least one offer at this point, but I hadn’t. This was where I doubted whether I could secure an apprenticeship or not and I started to think about what I should do after college now if it wasn’t going to be an apprenticeship.
I did still have an assessment centre to do for the Level 4 Project Management with National Highways. Little did I know that this would be the jackpot. Receiving the phone call a week later letting me know that I had been successful in securing the apprenticeship felt like the winning the lottery. Having faced rejections from around 35 companies to then securing an apprenticeship made me understand that resilience is crucial.
Doing the Apprenticeship
Starting the apprenticeship was very daunting at first as this was my first ever corporate job and I had never been in the office environment. There was lots to take in and at times it felt me like my colleagues were speaking another language. I doubted whether I would be able to even survive the first few months of the apprenticeship but this is where I thank my colleagues for reassuring me in letting me know that I wasn’t the first one to feel overwhelmed at work and certainly not the last along with providing me with tips and advice on how to settle in better.
As I moved into the apprenticeship, I was able to get involved in different aspects of work and get myself known within the organisation. I was working on a huge motorway project worth over £200 million where I worked on different aspects of the scheme. Alongside this, I was able to take part in extracurricular activities such as going on site visits, promoting apprenticeships, being a regional representative within the Early Talent Network consisting of apprentices and graduates for the North West region and taking part in a company challenge for apprentices and graduates known as the CEO challenge which my team was able to win. I felt like things were going smooth, but little did I know what was around the corner.
As I approached my second and final year of the apprenticeship things took a turn. The work started to become more challenging than ever with lots of setbacks. Not being able to achieve the wins like I was before decreased my confidence. During this period, I had doubts over whether I could complete the remainder of the apprenticeship or not. I also doubted whether project management was the right career for me or not.
What kept me going was resilience. I knew that I could overcome failure and bad days through previous experiences. I used every setback and failure as a lesson and understood how I can do better next time. Reaching out and speaking to people within my network was also very useful as I was able to gain advice on how I could approach different things, and it was reassuring to hear from others that I wasn’t the only one who went through similar challenges.
Completing the Apprenticeship
Once ready I sat my end point assessment where I achieved a Merit. Receiving the email from the Coach at my Learning Provider (BPP) was a huge relief as I knew that all the hard work had paid off. Along with this I was able to secure a full time role as a Senior Administrator within the Customer Insights team at National Highways which I’m grateful to have obtained as I can still continue doing project management along with developing skills within customer insights, research and aspects of data analysis.
There was still one thing left though and that was the Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards for 2024. I was shortlisted as a finalist within the Transport and Logistics industry. Now this was something I also doubted, and the doubts were for being a winner within this category, but I was proven wrong. Being announced as a winner is something I’ll never forget. Completing the apprenticeship and achieving everything I did within it was already very rewarding but to then be announced a winner for a National award in a room full over 800 people and going on stage to collect the award knowing that all my work has been recognised was unreal.
Advice for apprentices and young professionals
- Network – speak to and create connections with professionals both within your organisation and outside your organisation. Also speak to professionals both within your field of work and outside it. Networking allows you to create contacts and has many benefits. Some of these includes opportunities for professional development, sharing and gaining knowledge/expertise and mentorship. You may not notice the advantages of networking straight away but as you move into your career there’s a high chance you will.
- Don’t be too hard on yourself – as apprentices you can get overwhelmed with information and things may not make sense but that’s fine because its all new to you. Ask questions if things don’t make sense or whether your unsure about anything. Look for resources to help you understand and break down different tasks or topics. As you move along things will start to make sense. Remember that the most experienced professionals were also once beginners and they also learnt from others to get to where they are now.
- Development is key – look at the competencies and skills related to your role. Understand your strengths and weaknesses whilst looking at areas which you lack knowledge or experience in. Once identified look for ways you can develop yourself in these areas by gaining the knowledge and experience through applying the skills.
My message to you
With everything I’ve achieved in the last few years I’ve learnt to never doubt yourself and to always believe in yourself no matter what. Not every day will be great, and you will go through challenging times but it’s about showing resilience and overcoming barriers. The tough days and moments can teach you lessons you’ll end up being grateful for learning and it’ll build your character. Recognise your hard work, give yourself credit and celebrate your wins whilst remaining humble. Look back on your journey and realise how far you’ve come. You may encounter people who question or disagree with some of the decisions you make but as you long you truly know what’s best for you then do what you think is right. Lastly, if you don’t achieve what you had hoped, just remember that something better is waiting for you.
Yusuf Patel
Senior Administrator at National Highways | Award Winning Apprentice | CHA
You can find out more and connect with Yusuf on LinkedIn.