Luke shares his experience of his apprenticeship journey at OSG
After completing my GCSEs at school, I knew I didn’t want to follow the traditional path of full-time further education. I was interested in a career in architecture so applied to OSG Architecture for an apprenticeship.
OSG took me on as an apprentice at age 16 and I’ve been with the company for 3 years now. My apprenticeship involves me spending one day a week attending my HNC course in Construction and the Built Environment at Mid-Kent College and the rest of the week, I am working full-time at OSG, where I learn-on-the-job every day. At work I have a mentor and a team of experienced and qualified peers to guide and support me.
For me, it’s a great balance of classroom-based learning and practical hands-on experience, working on real, live projects and making a genuine and valued contribution to OSG project delivery - plus I get to earn while I learn.
Starting my apprenticeship at 16 meant that I had to do an additional foundation year before starting on the HNC course, but I am due to complete my HNC this year, giving me a valuable qualification to support my career progression as an Architectural Technician.
The apprenticeship pathway is a great route into industry if you favour a more practical-based learning approach and are keen to get into work.
Challenges
It can be challenging managing college work with my work commitments, but I am well-organised and so have managed to stay on top of everything.
Considering an apprenticeship?
I feel very lucky to have been able to access this opportunity and I’m excited to continue developing my skills and progressing my career with OSG. If you are thinking about an apprenticeship, I would encourage you to explore employers in the industry you’re interested in and just write in and apply speculatively - you never know. It’s also good to ask friends and family if they have any connections as this can definitely open doors.