Earning and learning after finishing school

Alex always wanted to do a degree and loved learning but didn’t like the idea of not being able to work while doing it. An apprenticeship a natural choice for her.

During her A Levels, Alex got a part time job at a football club and managed to convince her management to set up an apprenticeship so she could continue to earn and learn after school.

Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, her employer had to make cutbacks and she was made redundant halfway through her apprenticeship. She was later offered a role at Pearson which allowed her to resume her training.

Alex has found her apprenticeship has opened numerous opportunities for her at Pearson. She has a senior leader mentor, support from Pearson's apprenticeship groups and a supportive manager and team. Although Covid has meant she has never met anyone in person, she has been able to get sound career advice and plan her next steps at Pearson from the encouraging people and groups around her.

Starting a new role in lockdown

Joining a company during the pandemic has been strange for Alex, particularly as she has not been able to meet a single one of her colleagues due to the lockdown. However, as a result of the unusual circumstances, she felt her colleagues made even more of an effort to make her feel welcome and has been able to bond quickly with colleagues than she thinks she would have had should she have joined at another time.

Alex’s apprenticeship journey would have ended had she not been given the opportunity with Pearson. She has found the transition challenging at times as her current role is completely different to her previous one, but in terms of completing her degree it was a smooth transition, with no difficulties or inconsistencies, allowing her to focus on adapting to the job.

Ambitions for the future

Alex sees her future at Pearson and is keen to carrying on developing her skills and network with the help of her senior mentor.

Name: Alex
Age: 21
Location: Lewisham, London
Current role: Digital Learning Platform Operations Analyst
Apprenticeship: Business Management BA