When he finished college, Cameron Smith wasn’t sure about his next steps. He had heard about the benefits of apprenticeships and decided to enrol on the International Freight Forwarding Specialist course with Ligentia, an international supply chain organisation, with the course being delivered by leading training provider, Seetec Outsource.
Cameron explains why this turned out to be the best route for him and the impact that it has already had on his early career progression.
On choosing the Ligentia role, Cameron said: “It really stuck out to me how hands-on it was, that I would learn a lot and that Ligentia seemed to be putting a lot of faith in someone brand-new to the industry.”
What Cameron learned:
Cameron started the apprenticeship in September 2021 but was pleased and encouraged that Ligentia invited him to start with the company two months before that to familiarise himself with the fundamentals of the industry.
The training course lasted just over a year, with Cameron finishing in October. During that time, he has built the specialist knowledge needed to ensure operations within an international supply chain are fully secure, efficient and compliant. This has included assignments on a range of subjects, from learning about political boundaries and time zones to business and finance training.
The Benefits of the Experience:
On the experience of the apprenticeship, Cameron said: “I probably learnt more in the apprenticeship than I did in my years at school and college; the opportunities I’ve had have been beyond what I expected, and I’ve learnt so much in the past year or so.”
One of the opportunities Cameron mentioned is a team-building trip that Ligentia organised in the Lake District, for not just their apprentices but employees from right across the business, including senior managers. The week away included activities like high rope walks and water-sports and provided Cameron with a chance to get to know his colleagues better and understand their role within the organisation.
How it has informed his current role:
Cameron is now working as a Multi Modal Operator for Ligentia and he explained that the skills he had learnt during his apprenticeship are directly applicable to his new day-to-day responsibilities: “We did a course on customs clearances and now I’m doing customs clearances in my role; taking what I’ve learned and directly applying it. From what I knew, I was able to jump straight into helping our customs teams when there were issues with a new system.”
Cameron’s line manager, Chris Finnigan discussed how the apprenticeship enabled Cameron to transition seamlessly into his new position: “The support that Cameron has received from Seetec on his journey has been outstanding, His mentor had many years of freight forwarding experience which added extra value to the teaching. Cameron finished months ahead of plan with a distinction and has become a key part of the Ligentia Manchester team.”
Finally, Cameron offered his advice for someone who might be in a similar position to him after finishing college, not sure of the best route to take: “Starting an apprenticeship can lead to promotions and bonuses and I’ve had conversations with my managers about the next stages of progression I can take. If you put in the hard work, it really does pay off.”
To find out more about the apprenticeship Cameron completed, click here.
