Finlay found the optical sector to be incredibly interesting so, after leaving college, he began working at Specsavers Edinburgh Blackhall where he undertook a Modern Apprenticeship in Optical Practice Support. During this time, Finlay found a real interest in the physics behind light refraction and was picked for the branch's employee appreciation award. Due to Finlay's hard work and the amazing support from his assessor, he has now completed his Modern Apprenticeship and is continuing his role at Specsavers Edinburgh Blackhall.

What made you apply for an Apprenticeship? 

"I was at university doing nursing, before realising it was not for me. I started looking for jobs but then realised I could also do an apprenticeship. When I looked into this I was really keen on this idea and the vacancy opportunity."

What was the proudest moment of your apprenticeship journey?

"Being nominated for Modern Apprentice of The Year. Also for finishing my apprenticeship earlier than expected."

What would you say to someone considering an apprenticeship?

"Just do it! If anyone has any worries when leaving school because they think there is only college or university, don't worry there is an alternative. Modern Apprenticeships are a great way to learn with a lot of support."

What made you apply for an Apprenticeship? 

"I was finishing my studies and was looking to get more practical experience, that would also allow me to work within my community. I applied for the apprenticeship as it was a great opportunity for me to be able to work and get experience within a field that interests me and learn from different segments of the sector."

In your experience, what are the benefits of doing an apprenticeship?

"The great thing about doing an apprenticeship is that you get to enter working environments with the mindset to learn and you get to meet and work with people from different roles and sectors."

How was the support from your assessor throughout your apprenticeship?

"My assessor has been very supportive throughout my apprenticeship - we have adapted to different working environments and paces of work as and when needed."

What made you apply for an Apprenticeship? 

"I chose an apprenticeship because I wanted work experience and a qualification. It meant I could get paid and get experience at the same time."

In your experience, what are the benefits of doing an apprenticeship?

"Apprenticeships give you the experience, the qualification and a salary. I can get first hand experience rather than the theory."

What would you say to someone considering an apprenticeship?

"I would say absolutely do it. You can learn and work at the same time, which gives you the opportunity to do more."

What made you apply for an Apprenticeship? 

"I was very keen to get working within a medical admin setting and an apprenticeship was the best option for me. Before my apprenticeship, I was at college studying medical administration."

What was the proudest moment of your apprenticeship journey?

"A proud moment I have had is receiving loads of great feedback from my line manager who advised me of how well I was doing and how well I have picked up the job."

What would you say to someone considering an apprenticeship?

"Go for it! It is the best decision I have made and you don't realise how much you can learn in a short period of time."

"Before I completed my Modern Apprenticeships in Social Services and Healthcare SCQF Level 6 & 7, I was working as Care Assistant supporting residents with their everyday needs.  The main skills that I have learned from my Modern Apprenticeships is the importance of teamwork and leadership. It also broadened my knowledge base and improved my problem solving skills and assessment and evaluation skills. A Modern Apprenticeship gives you a platform to build on future studies and it also gives you the confidence to be inspired to greater things. I now plan to complete an HNC in Social Care and see where that takes me.         

I would definitely recommend Rewards Training to others. The support I received was tailored to meet my needs and delivered at a pace that matched my ability. I was never scared to ask questions. I am now in an acting Team Leader position and do not doubt that the MA contributed significantly to my success. I also gained a credible and accredited SVQ qualification recognised by the care industry.I thoroughly enjoyed completing my MA and I know that I have benefited in ways that I might not have, had I not gained my SVQ in Social Services and Healthcare at SCQF Level 6.

 As a young male working in the care sector, I can highly recommend this as a career. The best bit of my job is my role as Activities Coordinator, making the residents happy in their final years by taking them out on day trips and creating more memories for them. They absolutely love it and I know I’m adding value and happiness to their lives. It’s hugely rewarding!"

What made you apply for an Apprenticeship?

"I wanted to be able to learn on the job and build new skills. Before my Modern Apprenticeship, I had completed my HNC in Administration and IT and worked in a local pub part-time."

What was the proudest moment of your apprenticeship journey?

"Being able to help patients on a daily basis."

What would you say to someone considering an apprenticeship?

"Being able to work and gain a qualification at the same time is something I would recommended to anyone."

"Before I started my Modern Apprenticeship I had just finished college and had started working in a part time job packing boxes in a factory.  Since completing my MA, my IT Skills have improved greatly as well as learning how to use a number of different systems. This will help me with future career as I plan on staying in the administration sector. I would definitely recommend a MA/SVQ to others as it has helped me gain a wide range of skills and boosted my confidence when it comes to dealing with members of the public.  

I would recommend Rewards to others as it was a very easy and straight forward process, my assessor was great and would always be an email away if I ever need help with anything. The thing I liked most about my apprenticeship experience with Rewards was that it was all workplace based this meant that I could do my work and gain a qualification at the same time which was great!

Since completing my MA I have now been promoted to Training Services Coordinator and feel that my apprenticeship has helped me greatly with settling into this new role. "

"My assessor was nothing but helpful and friendly throughout my entire qualification. My qualification was 100% worthwhile, I loved it. They now have a new duty supervisor, ME! Beautiful venue for the Awards Ceremony."

"After deciding I didn’t want to go to University and not being happy in my current job at the time, I applied for an apprenticeship to see what opportunities were available.  My apprenticeship  helped me understand the job role a lot better rather than being thrown in at the deep end. 

 I like that the apprenticeship was more practical learning than theoretical, it helped me to grasp things faster. Since completing the SVQ I have gained a lot more responsibility in my team and I have autonomy to plan my own day. I have taken on more important tasks in the workplace such as carrying out credit checks on clients.  I would definitely recommend an apprenticeship to others. If you don’t know what your next steps are yet then an apprenticeship is a good platform to a lot of different career paths."

Karen (Connect Appointments) – 

“Investing in the younger generation gives great benefits to future of the company."

"Before I started my Modern Apprenticeship I was a play assistant which was not what I seen as a future career so going down the MA route was appealing. The main skills I have learned from my MA is it has widened my knowledge of Microsoft packages and increased my confidence in using these. I have also become more confident within myself in the workplace by answering the phone etc. I've also become more competent in using internal and external systems which allows me to get my work done quicker.

I thoroughly enjoyed completing my MA with my assessor Leanne and I think it is important to have a close bond with your assessor as they are there to help you out. With Leanne's help we even managed to get me finished earlier than anticipated. Rewards truly strive to put the candidate’s first and assessors do all they can to help out their candidates which I see on a day to day basis in the company. The apprenticeship scheme is very rewarding and being able to gain a qualification as well as earning at the same time is extremely appealing. 

I would recommend a MA to others as I found it enjoyable and it truly helped me within my work at Rewards. I am now more competent in my role and seen as a valuable member of the team."

"Before I started my Modern Apprenticeship, I was at school studying towards my Highers and working part-time at Matalan. Frustrated with school, I was trying my best to find a career opportunity. Luckily enough, I found Rewards who placed me with my employers, Virtuo Wealth Management. As an apprentice, I was responsible for all the daily admin tasks, such as answering the telephone, opening and scanning the mail and sending out the post. I also completed more advanced tasks such as creating annual review paperwork for when advisers went out to client meetings and contacting providers to receive information on client’s policies.

Since completing the MA with Rewards I have begun studying to become a Mortgage Adviser! I am excited about my future career prospects and I would 100% recommend a Modern Apprenticeship to anyone, especially to those who are in the same situation that I was in. It was a great start to my career and has given me a good footstep into the financial services world.

The whole experience has been great and I cannot thank all the staff and my assessor enough who have helped me through it."