Invotra is proudly taking part in National Apprenticeship Week (#NAW 2020) from 3 to 9 February 2020. This year the theme for the week is ‘Look Beyond’, supporting the aims of the Fire It Up campaign in reaching out to and showcasing diversity in apprenticeships.
If you have any questions about our events, or any feedback for us, get in touch using the form below , or through our social media outlets by tagging us at #invotra, #NAW2020, #lookbeyond and #askanapprentice.
We are taking part in national events to mark the week and to celebrate the achievements of our apprentices. Their experiences are shared in the apprenticeship ‘bites’ below, to help you get an understanding of exactly what an apprenticeship can offer both an apprentice and an employer. You can also read more details about their stories in our ‘Meet our Apprentices’ section.
We are delighted to be attending the Apprenticeship breakfast hosted by the AAN – Apprenticeship Ambassador Network at Brooklands, Weybridge. Our CPO, CFO, Founder Alison Galvin will be giving a talk as an award winning apprentice employer of the year! In addition our Sales and Technical apprentices will be sharing their experiences of working in the apprenticeship sector and how the apprentices enhance the business and they will be joined by aprentices from Aquiva, including Surrey’s first ever Architectural Apprentice.
We are joining the #AskAnEmployer Q&A on Twitter, taking place from 12 to 2pm on Thursday 6 February. We’ll be taking questions and offering all the advice we can on how to get the best from an apprentice employer.
Our experience as apprentice employers and as apprentices has allowed our team to offer advice and guidance to other companies and individuals considering taking part in the apprenticeship scheme themselves. These ‘bite-size’ videos might answer some key questions you may have, and offer an insight into life as an Invotra apprentice and the opportunities this brings.
Case studies from our team of inspiring, trail blazing apprentices
Billy has been with Invotra since he joined in 2011 as one of our very first apprentices. He is now our Project Manager, leading a team of 5 and is about to undertake the Level 6 Chartered Management Institute Degree.
Chelsea is found passionate about Cyber security, and was excited to begin a qualification, a Level 4 Apprenticeship in Cyber security to help her become Invotra’s first Cyber Security apprentice, with a unique opportunity to help the company gain new insights as technology evolves.
Nqobile Dube started at iO1 during May of 2011 as a Software Development apprentice. Before he went ahead with his apprenticeship, Nqobile was actually already in university studying Computing. However, he felt that an apprenticeship would be a much better path to take.
Jamie joined Invotra as a software development apprentice in December 2013. He relished the opportunities working at Invotra offered and is now Invotra’s Key Accounts Manager. He is also looking forward to starting the Level 4, 5 & 6 Chartered Management course in May this year.
Andrew won the National Apprentice of the Year award and is grateful for the opportunity that Invotra has provided. He values having been included in so many areas of the company; communicating with customers, being responsible for requirements for large projects and leading the web accessibility for products.
Luke always knew an apprenticeship was the best option for him, with the idea of learning whilst working really appealing. He is really grateful to his colleagues at Invotra who have always been more than happy to help him reach his goals.
Edward is surprised by the path his career has taken after expecting to go to university. However, having experience in both university and apprenticeships he really rate the benefits of both; and encourages people to research all of the different avenues that they can take.
Max really enjoyed his apprenticeship experience as it gave him the opportunity to meet and work with other people who were following a similar career path. He feels working and studying with Invotra gave him the experience and opportunity to further shape the direction his career will take.
Ross has worked in many areas of the company, including HR, testing and, having gained confidence in his knowledge of our product, moved to working as a service engineer. He feels he has found the role that fits him in the account management team, working alongside our technical account manager.
Ben started his current course after 2 years already working at Invotra, having finished a level 3 in software development. The idea of being able to do a degree while continuing to progress in his career at Invotra was extremely appealing to him.
Ryan has recently completed his Level 4 apprenticeship, and is working in our QA team. He has really valued all the experience and knowledge the team at Invotra have shared with him and is excited about the future.
Dimitrije joined Invotra as a ‘self-taught’ software developer feeling that tech had always come very naturally to him. Wanting a job where he could develop his industry experience, and progress more quickly than if he’d gone to university, an apprenticeship was the perfect career route for him.
Jack had always wanted to get into software development having been fascinated by technology. He wanted to get a job where his ideas could make a difference, and that’s one of the reasons why he joined Invotra.
Shona had been impressed by the obvious support for apprenticeships within the company, and how proud Invotra is of how they champion apprenticeships. She is delighted that impression turned to reality and is now certain she made the right decision in chosing an apprenticeship.
Before Niall began his apprenticeship he had already undertaken part of a degree in Chemical Engineering. Dissatisfied with his experience at university he decided to start an apprenticeship with Invotra, which has allowed him to study a new subject, without the drawback of paying yearly university fees.
Scott decided on pursuing an apprenticeship as he felt that it would be a great way to get real-world experience, whilst also allowing him a “stepping stone” into progressing in his studies.
Having always found difficulty with the rigidity of the learning structure in school and college, the idea of being able to learn by practical application, and to learn in a way where he would be able to see the impact of the work he was doing in a real-world scenario, was something which set apprenticeships apart for Jake.
Georgia is really enjoying her apprenticeship which has introduced her to amazing people who she has had the privilege of working with and learning from while being able to work. At the same time she knows she is working towards a qualification and experiencing new and varied challenges all the time.
Miller is delighted to be on the apprentic path working towards your career goals as well as earning and establishing himself in an organisation. Having believed that apprenticeships only specialised in plumbing or electricians and other trades he has been impressed by the limitless choices of apprenticeships you can go to.
Louis has really valued meeting many other apprentices at Invotra and in other organisations. With over half the Invotra workforce having been apprentices themselves he has found an incredibly helpful and supportive atmosphere that is helping him achieve his aspirations.
In 2019 our apprentices took part in various National Apprenticeship Week events. Our highlights were a visit from Anne Milton MP and Keith Smith, and our visit to the House of Commons for QA’s “A celebration of Apprenticeships”.
The Minister of State for Apprenticeships and Skills, the Rt Hon Anne Milton MP, and Keith Smith, Director of Apprenticeships, Education and Skills Funding Agency visited Invotra on Friday 8 March to meet apprentices, view our digital accessibility testing lab and celebrate International Women’s Day by witnessing a cross-site scripting attack by Chelsea Cadd, one of the few female apprentices studying towards a cyber security qualification in the UK.
Find out more about this and other events during National Apprenticeship Week
As part of National Apprenticeship Week, Invotra was invited by QA and MP Sharon Hodgson to share our experiences of the success of our apprenticeship programme with other apprentices and leading voices from the apprenticeship sector.
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