Before starting her apprenticeship at CUH Lexi attended college 3 days a week where she studied Business, Law and Finance. She quickly realised that the course wasn’t for her and that she wanted to be in a role where she could help others. She wanted to stay in the business industry but wasn’t sure what she was going to do next.
She decided to apply to the CUH advert for a Business Administration and Customer Service Apprenticeship as she wanted to be able to work and gain experience whilst also learning more about her job role, so an apprenticeship was a good way to do this.
She says that a hospital can be a scary place for patients so she likes being able to make their experience more comfortable and enjoyable.
What does a typical day look like in your role?
A typical day in my role is very busy; we see around 250 patients a day but this does often vary.
Throughout the day I am checking patients in for their X-Rays, but also booking many other X-Ray requests. This tends to be done in the morning as we like to catch up with the requests that have come through overnight.
I speak to patients directly, either in person or over the phone, where I help them with their queries or if someone is looking to reschedule their appointment.
I often deal with emails from GP surgeries, this can be a referral for a patient to have an X-Ray, sending over information or dealing with their queries.
What do you enjoy about your role?
I enjoy working with a really supportive team of people who have helped me so much since starting my apprenticeship. They have helped me to build my confidence and be independent.
Mainly I enjoy helping patients and knowing I am making their experience more enjoyable and less worrying. I like seeing patients happy, especially when you don’t know what they’re going through.
What sorts of things do you do for the off-the-job learning aspect of your apprenticeship and does this involve attending college, or is it all completed at work?
I complete regular Business Admin and Customer Service assignment tasks which are given to me by my assessor.
There are also lots of different online courses offered to all staff, and I shadow my colleagues doing parts of the job that I haven’t done before myself; I also have regular 1:1’s and staff meetings.
All of my meetings with my assessor are completed online over Teams. I believe doing my course virtually has worked out well as I am able to contact my assessor if there is anything I need help with, which is always great, and we have regular meetings to catch up and make sure my work is all going well.
What are your future intentions?
I would like to complete my apprenticeship and stay working within CUH.
I would like to stay doing my role by providing customer service and developing my knowledge, and hopefully soon see what other opportunities there are for me to progress.
I believe that doing an apprenticeship at CUH has already opened up lots of opportunities for me at a young age and when I’m older I would like to go into higher banded roles.
What advice would you give to others who may be looking to take on an apprenticeship?
I would definitely encourage someone to take on an apprenticeship. I believe that mine at CUH has helped me to build confidence, develop my understanding, meet lots of new people and put me in a position where I enjoy what I am doing.
There are other benefits like being paid whilst learning, gaining a qualification and experience and getting a head start in what it is like in a working environment.
The main theme of this year’s National Apprenticeship Week is 'skills for life'. What are the most important skills for life that you have developed in your role?
Some important skills I have developed are confidence, understanding and empathy, as you never know what someone is in hospital for, communication, and decision-making, as sometimes you can come across a difficult situation which requires you to take action quickly.