Apprenticeship Week Wales – My Apprenticeship Journey

I was first introduced to the organisation by a careers’ advisor, who recommended an apprenticeship as a worthwhile pathway for me to get into work once I left school. My family circumstances meant that university wasn’t an option for me, but as soon as I heard about the apprenticeship at Dŵr Cymru I was hooked.

The blend of theoretical engineering and practical application gave me the opportunity to dive into the world of work, whilst still being supported through classroom learning. The mixture of office and field-based experience meant the role was varied and interesting. No single day was the same during my apprenticeship and I thrived in that dynamic environment - I could be designing a pipeline with colleagues in the office one day and heading out to a customer to find and fix a leak the next.

Despite my initial excitement, it wasn’t until further down the line in my career that I realised what a key decision becoming an apprentice had been for me. An apprenticeship is about understanding how a business works across multiple disciplines, giving you a unique insight into the detail of an organisation and really getting under its skin. Having the ability to experience the grassroots of the business has been incredibly helpful, particularly as I’ve progressed through my career. The fact that I’ve seen and done it, at all levels, means I have an empathy and deep understanding of the business that I draw upon daily to make informed decisions as CEO. 

These days apprenticeships have really been brought into the modern world of work in the last 20 years and are very much fit-for-purpose for the jobs that are here and now. At Dŵr Cymru, we have a diverse range of apprenticeships available across different fields and skill sets, with many of our front-line and customer-facing roles being delivered or developed through apprenticeships. We recruit around 30 apprentices each year and the notion that apprenticeships are manual jobs is completely outdated.

While there will always be a need for these types of roles, our Apprenticeship Programme spans across all areas of the business and is a viable route into a plethora of different careers and specialisms. 

We’re also seeing greater diversity in our apprentices, which is vital in creating a more inclusive culture that ultimately leads to better performance and success. Gone are the days where our apprentice cohort is made up of burly men working in manual jobs. Those old, tired stereotypes just aren’t the reality anymore. We have far more female apprentices and colleagues working in front-line, operational roles – and we want to see even more of them in the months and years ahead. 

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to leaving school or changing careers, so outdated views about the opportunities that an apprenticeship can offer - particularly compared to other pathways into work - are unhelpful. Apprenticeships offer people the chance to grow their career from day one through on-the-job experience and a competitive wage.

At Dŵr Cymru, apprentices are given the opportunity to get involved in the wider business, meeting and learning from experienced colleagues to build a holistic overview of the organisation.

 There is also a real team ethos amongst our apprentices as they support each other through shared experiences, challenges and opportunities. 

And my advice to prospective applicants and future apprentices is simple – you can start and progress your career through an apprenticeship. Don’t be limited by your own experience or a lack of confidence. If you have the drive and passion to succeed then you can, regardless of your age, ethnicity or background. Throw yourself into it and grab every opportunity that is presented to you. We promote a culture where staff are not afraid to have their say, whether they’re a first-year apprentice or sit on the board committee.

In my experience apprentices have a real drive to do a great job for the company - they see a clear opportunity to forge a career and seize it, with both hands. On average, this makes apprentices our most effective long-term investments when it comes to employees due to their loyalty and increased staff retention rates. It’s not uncommon to see an apprentice developing and progressing at the business for many, many years. The entry-level knowledge and core skills they learn stay with them as they progress through the ranks and they develop a deep understanding and real grasp of how the organisation works and how it can be improved.