Harry Holloway
Age: 22
Trade: Electrician
Borough: Thurrock
Apprenticeship: Level 3 Electrical Installations
Background: Harry was studying at college and working part-time in sports retail. He was studying towards his diploma in Electrical Installations to enable him to get onto the apprenticeship.
During the Apprenticeship: After Harry passed his interview, he was placed on site in his hometown of Thurrock with Wates, where he spent the duration of his apprenticeship. ‘What I loved most about the apprenticeship was finishing it for a start. As much as I enjoyed being an apprentice, it feels great to have aIt has allowed me to become a qualified electrician and get a job in what I really want to do. I enjoyed going to work every day, seeing what challenge I would be faced with that day and just the opportunity to carry on learning all the time. Working with professionals meant I was able to expand my knowledge and skillset all the time and work out what method of practice worked best. I really enjoyed my time with Wates. The people I was working with were great all round, we all got along really well. They understood that I was an apprentice and never expected me to always know everything and this gave me the chance to properly learn. If I needed help, they were there to offer it and if I needed to do some specific work for college, the provided me with it and I really appreciated this.’
K10 were really great as well. My apprenticeship manager Jack was there if and when I needed him, at the other end of a phone call and sorted anything that needed sorting. He would come to my site when he was due to; this was good as it allowed us to stay up to date with each other even though we were not in the same office all the time. K10 have really helped me a lot, they kick-started my career in short and I am really grateful for this. If anyone else is looking to start an apprenticeship the one thing I can say is that it’s not easy, but if it was, there wouldn’t be any point in doing it, just stick with it because it is all worth it in the end.’
After the Apprenticeship: Harry has now been taken on full time by Wates as a self-employed electrical improver and is on three times his apprenticeship starting salary.
