What did you study before your apprenticeship?
I studied Geography, Biology and Computer Science at A Levels, so very much tailored my A Levels to the career I wanted to head into. I always loved Geography at GCSE, particularly for the field trips and natural hazards! Computer Science enabled me to use a different “logical, problem solving” part of my brain and Biology was my favourite science to complete the set!
Which organisation do you work for and what university degree will you achieve on completion of your apprenticeship?
I currently work for the Environment Agency (EA) rotating round different departments in the company every 6 months while studying Environmental Science (Practitioner) (Hons) at Keele University one day a week. We have “block release” on campus twice a year for practical and field based experience.
What made you choose an apprenticeship?
Although quite liking an academic setting in sixth form and successfully getting 5 UCAS offers in the summer of Year 13, I believe (and still do!) that working alongside colleagues already in the profession is the best way to fuel your passion for the subject that you’re interested in! From going out on site visits with stakeholders and team members, meeting and inspiring members of the public at engagement events, to leading on projects within the EA that make an actual difference to people and planet straight out of A Levels was something that really appealed to me.
Through all my experiences I’ve mentioned, I’ve also developed a lot of key communication and soft skills. I am a self confessed environmental nerd who was quite introverted at times but since I took this apprenticeship on and jumped very far out of my comfort zone, I feel like I’ve gained a lot more confidence speaking publicly and on my own ideas when working on projects.
Rotating round teams within the EA has allowed me to gain so much breadth and depth of environmental knowledge, from flooding to drought to biodiversity. By the end of my degree I will have been in 10 different teams and it really excites me to be exposed to, and to be involved in, all the different projects that the teams work hard on: something that I never would have achieved at such a early stage in my career with a full time degree.
What skills have you gained so far?
I think with any degree apprenticeship, the skill you develop most is time management and organisation. It can be difficult to ‘flip’ between academic studies and workplace commitments, but the fast paced, dynamic environment is thrilling!
What does a typical week look like?
Although it’s the most cliché thing you will hear from an apprentice, every day really does vary! I could be helping my colleagues with consultations for flood risk activities (making sure people are taking enough steps to avoid ecological and environmental harm in their projects), or I could be out in a boat conducting electrofishing, fish and water vole surveys, or visiting places with our assets experiencing flooding or coastal erosion. I am also training as an incident officer, so I’ll be out engaging with communities after an environmental incident which can include pollution spills, fish distress or flooding incidents. My favourite days are on site without a doubt!
