As the number of people taking Apprenticeships hits the half million mark, we thought our latest Apprentice Graduate from our own Apprenticeship scheme ought to tell his story:
Way back in the summer of 2010, having realised that university wasn’t for me, I was searching for available job opportunities on the Hackney City Council website. Having used a MacBook for the previous 3 years, I knew that I wanted to work with Apple products. However I had only basic experience using OS X software and with only a little understanding about the technical and hardware framework of the mac.
Then I stumbled across an advert for the Amsys 2 year Apprenticeship scheme, which was conveniently located near me in Croydon and seemed like the perfect opportunity to learn all about mac products while taking various OS X certifications to boost your experience. I fired off my cv and received a call back for an interview.
On August 16th 2010, I started my first day at Amsys with the standard Amsys walk around the buildings and being introduced to everyone. The first month consisted of learning the day to day routine, shadowing Lee (a senior apprentice), while being told everything possible about Apple Hardware in preparation for my ACMT.
At the end of my first month, I took and passed my ACMT which meant I was now an Apple Certified Macintosh Technician and could finally repair my first machine, which was an iMac with a faulty optical drive. I was then given my mentor, Apple Trainer and serial blogger, Russell Harris, who would be there to advise me on my progress and help me with my future choice of certifications and career path.
In October 2010, a couple of us were asked to join the mac consultants on a trip to the south coast to see first hand an onsite deployment at a big university. This, combined with Lee leaving in January 2011 for a position as a server administrator at a large company in London, finally hit home that I was on a real path that would not only provide me with real life experiences and valuable certifications but would also lead to a job at the end!
From then on, until I took my 10.6 Support Essentials in summer 2011, my time consisted of me repairing a lot of macs while studying for my exam. The pressure intensified and while I was pleased with the challenges that an environment like this presented I was also too thankful when it was my turn on the rota to work at our Apple Repair Centre on Berwick street, where I could revise while also brushing up on my customer face to face skills.
Fast forward to January 2012, and my final leg of the Amsys Apprenticeship, I was promoted to a senior technician where it was my turn to take new apprentices under my wing and show them the Amsys way. I knew that I would soon have to start applying for roles, so I took and passed my 10.7 Server and 10.7 Support Essentials which meant I was now a fully qualified ACTC (Apple Certified Technical Coordinator) and then also opted to take the iOS deployment course to broaden my iOS knowledge.
It’s now October 2012 and I am pleased to say that I am about to start at Freud Communications as a Helpdesk Engineer, providing 1st line support for their internal departments. I am incredibly excited to have this opportunity and know that this may not have been possible without such a dedicated route into the Mac job market, such as the Amsys Apprenticeship.
Fingers crossed for the future, and I will send in an update with my progress in the next six months!