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IT Apprentice

“Working in a bank might not seem like a natural stepping stone to an IT Apprenticeship at FCDO Services, but there are actually a lot of transferable skills. I was part of a world where security, confidentiality, diligence, openness and trustworthiness were vital – all things you need as an apprentice here.

"It felt like I’d be joining somewhere with friendly colleagues and a true focus on my personal development."

I’d wanted to change career and move into IT for a while, but I needed a steady income while I learned. I saw that FCDO Services had so many opportunities on offer, and it felt like I’d be joining somewhere with friendly colleagues and a true focus on my personal development. That’s what drew me to this apprenticeship.

As an IT Apprentice, I’ve been able to learn from different teams and soak up their expertise. At the moment, I’m working with the Networks team, where I’ve taken on all sorts of things: erasing retired switches, unpatching, and upgrading new switches, for example. Whatever it is I’m doing, I know that I’ve always got the support of everyone around me and that I’m developing all the time.

"Throughout it all, everyone’s been there for me."

With the COVID-19 disruption this past year, I’ve needed to adapt to different ways of working and learning. It’s really shown me the importance of being able to prioritise my workload and stay on top of everything as I complete my portfolio and exam modules. Again, throughout it all, everyone’s been there for me.

The best thing about apprenticeships at FCDO Services? For me, it’s threefold: getting paid while learning invaluable skills, having many opportunities beyond the apprenticeship itself, and being a Civil Servant as part of an organisation that’s motivating, flexible and nurturing."