Mastercall Healthcare, based in Hazel Grove, Stockport is marking National Apprenticeship Week 2019 by speaking to their own apprentice about her time at Mastercall and how her experience may inspire others.
This is Paige Bithell (20) from Stockport who joined Mastercall Healthcare in March 2018 to carry out her apprenticeship in Business Administration, here’s what she had to say about her time her so far:
What duties have you carried out since starting at Mastercall?
I’ve been working with the Learning and Development (L&D) Team which has been great. I book meeting rooms for training workshops, make sure staff training records are up to date, book people (internal and external) into training workshops and deal with general L&D enquiries.
What made you decide to do an apprenticeship?
I just knew that university wasn’t the place for me. When I was at college, I felt like I was just inputting information into a computer, I didn’t feel like I was learning very much, and I was worried that going to university would be just more of the same. I believe that you take much more away from an apprenticeship than a university course.
Also, I have really enjoyed earning as I have been learning. I didn’t want to go to university and end up in loads of debt, it’s much better this way. I have really enjoyed working with the L&D team, they have always been there for me if I need to ask them anything and having that support has been fantastic.
What have you learned in your time at Mastercall?
I’ve learned so much it’s hard to pick just a few, but I now know the whole process of booking in external providers to carry out training, how to invoice and general record keeping.
I am much more confident than I was before I came to Mastercall. I am so pleased I decided to do an apprenticeship rather than university. Doing an apprenticeship gets you out of your routine and for that reason, really builds your confidence, it would not have been like this for me if I’d have gone to study at university.
Something else I have learned is how to communicate via email. I know that might sound strange but if you come straight from college to the workplace, it takes time to adjust how to communicate in a professional manner and tailor the way you communicate depending on who you are emailing i.e. GPs, non-clinical staff etc.
Is it what you expected?
No, it’s been even better than i expected – I think I had a stereotypical view that all the boring jobs would be given to me because I was the apprentice. I thought I’d spend all my time making tea, photocopying, filing, those sorts of jobs but it’s not been like that at all. I really feel like part of the team and am completing work that really makes a difference to the organisation. I’ve even had the chance to work in different departments which has been great, I think this has helped me understand the organisation even more.
What has been the highlight for you?
The highlight for me was getting the apprenticeship in the first place – it pushed me into the adult world and has made me step up to the challenge. I really wanted to show Mastercall that they picked the right person for the apprenticeship and that has always been in the back of my mind.
Another highlight was booking all the workshops we hold for an entire year. We hold basic life support workshops, fire training, safeguarding etc. and I booked every sessions in for a year without needing to ask for help, I carried out the process from start to finish and I am really proud of that. It takes a lot of organising, from getting dates sorted, booking rooms, booking people to carry out the training, booking in attendees from various different sites etc.
What has been your biggest challenge?
My biggest challenge was getting used to speaking on the phone. It is a hard skill for me and I remember the first time I had to call someone to book them into a workshop, I had to make the call in a different room to the main office because I felt so uncomfortable, just because it isn’t something I am used to doing. But now it doesn’t bother me at all.
What is next for you?
I still have a fair bit to do before I complete my apprenticeship, I need to take part in a test interview with an external assessor and present the work I have done over the last year. I would love to be kept on at Mastercall to grow further in the organisation, but I am so pleased to have learned as much as I have, I really feel like I have grown.
Would you recommend apprenticeships?
I would recommend going for an apprenticeship to anyone who doesn’t feel like university is the place for them. When I was at college apprenticeships weren’t even mentioned as an option – they wanted everyone to go to university, so I did my own research and found out what I needed for myself. They are much more popular now, and that’s great – university is not for everyone.