To celebrate Scottish Apprenticeship Week, Seetec Outsource are proud to display the development of our former apprentices, both in their subsequent career progression and in their increased confidence and ambition. Leah Jackson, 19, is a perfect example of this and has been speaking about her experience of her apprenticeship and how it has informed her role at Sky.
Leah was working as a hairdresser after leaving school and it was her sister, who was working for Sky at the time, who recommended she looked into starting the Customer Service Practitioner apprenticeship with the company. Leah was apprehensive about it at first, as she explained: “I didn’t do too well at school and I was really anxious at the start of my apprenticeship because I’ve got dyslexia and I thought the coursework would be just like my old schoolwork.”
However, this proved not to be the case: “Me and Michelle, my Apprenticeship Delivery Coach, sat down and she reassured me, saying that if I needed her to go through everything with me, she would. She really made me feel at home and the learning was really not what I was expecting; it was so flexible, and you could present the coursework in so many different ways. As it turned out, I was the first person to finish the coursework in my entire team!”
Leah has gone from strength to strength since finishing her apprenticeship in late 2022, progressing from her role as a Customer Service Advisor into a new position as People Administrator within the HR team at the Sky Watermark offices in Livingston. She discussed why she decided to make this move: “I thought it was time for a new challenge and to progress further up the ladder.”
Leah has also taken on a role as a Mental Health Ambassador, alongside her new position: “I saw it being advertised internally and went for an interview and thankfully they chose me! It’s been fantastic as I’ve gone on lots of different courses, from Suicide Prevention to Cancer Awareness and Men’s Mental Health. The role involves me talking to my colleagues and helping them with any mental health worries, big or small, that they might have. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have done that on top of my apprenticeship.”
This is just one of the examples of Sky being encouraging of Leah pursuing different opportunities and accommodating them around her work schedule: “Sky have been fantastic; they’re so flexible and offer so much support for anyone who needs it. I’ve been really happy here.”
Leah’s former manager, Customer Experience Leader, Scott Waugh, said the following about his experience of working with Leah: “Since Leah has come into my team, she has grown in confidence and really shone. She is a great example of the apprenticeship allowing a young person to find their feet and look forward to establishing their career goals.”
Finally, Leah offered some advice for both her younger self and any other person in a similar situation, considering whether an apprenticeship is the right move for them: “I’d say don’t panic! Don’t worry about the coursework or balancing it with your job, because that’s why the coaches are there.”
To find out more about the apprenticeship Leah completed, or to browse other options, click here:
Customer Service Practitioner | Seetec Outsource
