The Barnet Group has been running its apprenticeship scheme since 2011 and, as part of National Apprenticeship Week 2017 we wanted to shine a light on the valued contribution our apprentices make.
We have nine apprentices working across The Barnet Group including Your Choice Barnet. One of our apprentices, Natasha Trivedi, agreed to share her personal story on how and why she became an apprentice with us.
Natasha says she was on her way to university to study… but became overwhelmed with future options and financing a degree:
“Doing an apprenticeship gives you the chance to combine gaining a qualification with practical work experience.
“After gaining 2 A Levels, I went onto college and studied for an Extended Diploma in Medical Science, Level 3. I found the coursework tough – many teachers expected fully independent learning, which meant getting the right help needed was very difficult. I still managed to complete my course and achieved grades ABB, which I am really proud of!
“I was still so worried about how I would survive financially and manage a part-time job whilst having all my university assignments to complete.
“The whole confusion about my future options caused extreme stress which put me off doing anything at all. A college careers adviser said I had three options: University, employment or an apprenticeship. I applied for full time jobs but most of them were in retail and most of them expected previous experience. Shortly after, my parents showed me an article in atHome about the apprenticeship scheme, so I decided to attend the open day.
“I was delighted to be accepted on Barnet Homes’ apprenticeship scheme and have now started an apprenticeship with Barnet Homes’ Leasehold Team. I have definitely become a lot more independent. I realised I don’t need to rely on others for help and support because I am fully capable of doing it myself.”
If you are interested in becoming one of our future apprentices, register your interest at thebarnetgroup.org/careers. Once registered, you will be notified about how to apply in the summer.