Alfie Edwards is an Apprentice Service Desk Analyst at Timewade, a few months into his apprenticeship with Exeter College. In his blog, find out what an IT apprenticeship is like, and his advice for anyone considering doing one themselves.
Alfie joined Timewade in September 2022, looking to kickstart his career in IT. His role involves working alongside the rest of the Service Desk team to respond to a range of IT issues, and spending one day a week studying at Exeter College.
Alfie said: “We study a wide variety of topics at college. Recently we’ve studied coding, logic, and IT for business. As well as learning about IT support, other students on my course are working in different roles, so we get to find out about a range of job options, and learn about IT across multiple sectors.
“It’s nice to have that balance between working in the office, and going into college once a week. At Timewade, I’m learning a lot of practical skills which I’ll be able to take into my future career, and these are supported by the more theoretical knowledge I get from college.”
Alfie loved gaming when he was younger, and as he got older realised the world of technology and IT held a number of career opportunities.
“I decided to pursue a career in IT because there are so many opportunities in the sector. Technology really is the future, so it’s a great industry to get into. After doing some research, I reached out to Jordan at Timewade, and he gave me some advice, and pointed me towards some helpful places to get information on study options. A few months later I took the jump and joined Timewade! Working here has made me love IT even more. It’s really interesting learning and gaining experience on the job, especially when you’ve got such a good team to learn from.
“It’s a young team, which is really nice, and it’s a fun work environment. Everybody wants to help and support each other. Winslade Park, where our office is based, is a really nice area, and there’s lots of other interesting companies based in the same building.”
After his apprenticeship finishes, Alfie’s considering what he wants to specialise in further down the line.
“I was always intrigued by cyber security, so that’s something I would really like to work towards. At Timewade, there are loads of different qualifications I can achieve alongside my work, which can help me discover more about cyber security and develop specialist skills. For now, though, I’m focusing on nailing the basics, and learning as much as I can from my apprenticeship.”
If you’re considering doing an apprenticeship, Alfie says it’s a great choice to get a mixture of on-the-job experience and classroom learning:
“If you’re thinking about an apprenticeship, just do it! It’s a good transition between finishing school and entering the world of work, and for people who haven’t been in a school environment for ages but are considering a different career path, it’s a great balance between working and learning.
“For sectors like IT, it’s really important to get that hands-on experience, so an apprenticeship is a good way to learn those practical skills, which will prepare you for working in the industry.”
Get in touch to talk to our team about doing an apprenticeship with Timewade, or check out Careers at Timewade.
