Two former Seetec Outsource apprentices, Eleanor Holmes, and Kelly Bell, delivered a presentation to current learners on the International Freight Forwarding Specialist apprenticeship, offering them advice and informing them on their experiences, both during and after completing the course.
The two presenters have enjoyed great success since finishing their apprenticeships, with Eleanor going on to progress into a new role at Good Logistics and now working in Internal Sales. Whilst Kelly recently won a Special Recognition award as part of the Apprentice of the Year category at the BIFA Freight Service Awards. More information on that achievement can be found here: Seetec Outsource apprentice wins National Freight Service award for ‘Apprentice of the Year’ | Seetec Outsource
Kelly, who is currently working as a Liner Agency Coordinator for Good Logistics, explained why she decided to get involved: “I am always happy to help and offer advice to people going through the apprenticeship as I have gone through all the emotions they are feeling. It is a rollercoaster of emotions completing the apprenticeship and to have someone lend you the support and prove that you will be fine, is so important. I was offered advice during my apprenticeship from a previous learner and the advice they gave really settled my nerves.”
Their presentation outlined the numerous benefits they had gained from their apprenticeships, from learning key skills that are specific to the freight industry, to more personal skills such as increased self-confidence. Kelly mentioned that, for the BIFA Awards, she had to deliver a presentation in the final stages and that this was something she couldn’t have dreamed of doing before her apprenticeship.
They also offered relevant and detailed advice on how they approached the coursework and described how to source and record content for CPD logs and showcase pieces, and finished their presentation with some top revision tips for exam preparation. Their frank and honest approach put the learners at ease knowing that both Eleanor and Kelly had felt nervous and uncertain at times during the programme but had both gone on to achieve distinctions.
The apprentices then had some fantastic questions for the two presenters, including how to manage the apprenticeship coursework alongside busier periods in their roles, the process of the BIFA awards and how long it took before they felt they could competently do their jobs without any support. This interaction furthered the feeling that the event was a huge success, as Apprenticeship Development Coach Clare Ramsbottom explained:
“I did the same thing a year ago with a former learner, as it is nice to hear the perspective of someone who has been there and done it. It is good for our learners to hear the good, the bad and the ugly to some extent, as it can ease some of the worries that people have. Both Eleanor and Kelly were nervous learners at the start and yet you see them now, presenting confidently for a major company in the industry; the change is phenomenal. I feel like a proud mum!”
Sarah Coates, Learning and Development Advisor at Good Logistics, said of the occasion: “At Good Logistics we see the value in sharing experiences and supporting each other is part of our great culture. We welcomed the opportunity for Kelly and Eleanor to create and deliver a presentation to current apprentices for them to hear first-hand about their experiences as this only supports their self-development but also the other apprentices.
Apprenticeships are an excellent opportunity for everyone, and we fully support the learning and development of our employees. Seetec Outsource have been incredibly supportive throughout all our employees’ learning journeys and the strong relationships the tutors build with their learners is second to none. We are happy to support and to build a strong working relationship with our training provider.”
With the success of events like this, it sets a precedent for a cycle of former apprentices returning to support the latest cohorts on their programmes and Kelly and Eleanor are fantastic examples to the current learners of where an apprenticeship can lead, both professionally and personally.
For more information on our apprenticeships, please click the link here.
