Taslima currently works as an Administration Apprentice for the Work Opportunities Team in HR, where she is based on the reception desk in the Deakin Centre.
She chose to do an apprenticeship as she felt that she was more of a hands-on, practical learner, rather than someone good at sitting exams to gain a qualification.
She looked into apprenticeships in the healthcare industry and felt inspired to complete one, especially as she always wanted to work at CUH, because she knew that the Trust had a good reputation.
She also felt it would be rewarding to be part of the CUH community and enable herself to meet different types of people at the hospital.
What does a typical day look like in your role?
A typical day in my role is sitting at the Deakin Centre reception desk, answering calls, guiding people to training rooms when they are unsure of where they need to go, diary management for my line manager, liaising with apprentice managers to gain feedback for their meetings with my line manager, checking the Apprenticeships e-mail inbox and responding to queries, inputting data onto spreadsheets, general admin tasks, preparing my team’s resources for them to hand out when they are out at career fairs and talking about apprenticeships, and attending career events at local schools and colleges to promote careers in the NHS.
What do you enjoy about your role?
I enjoy meeting different people at career fairs and being a role model to them, as I am an apprentice myself, so I feel students relate to me more as I am young.
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 have my study day which I complete at home every Friday, as I prefer to study at the end of the week. I am given set tasks to complete by my tutor which have deadlines, sometimes a month or two ahead. I am able to access all of my tasks and any work I upload on the college portal (OneFile) so I can keep track of what needs to be done and by what date.
I have regular contact with my tutor and I also get additional support where the college contact me to go briefly through the work that has been set and to make sure that I understand what I need to do. I am able to contact my tutor if I need any help by phone, e-mail or Teams.
I have also had to attend online classes regularly which have helped me to expand my knowledge in my work life and have helped me gain confidence.
What are your future intentions?
I would like to continue to work for the NHS as working as part of the healthcare industry is a big goal for me.
I also want to progress and take any opportunities I can to make myself proud and inspire others. At the moment I feel that I would like to work more in the clinical side of the Hospital and start another apprenticeship within Midwifery if it becomes available at CUH. I have always been aspired to become a midwife and I want to help others and hear that patients or visitors coming out the Hospital have a positive experience.
What advice would you give to others who may be looking to take on an apprenticeship?
I would say to take every opportunity that you can, as doing an apprenticeship can help you to progress up the career ladder; if you get involved with networking events, you will become more familiar and potentially get more opportunities through these.
I would also advise future apprentices to ensure that before you apply for a role, make sure you know what the job is offering and asking from you, but do still apply even if you’re not feeling confident about the role; the whole point is to train and learn in an apprenticeship.
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?
As I have got used to my role I have learnt how to use a range of Microsoft software, such as Publisher, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint along with Canva for graphic design. I am aware that this will be useful in most modern careers, as they require good IT skills.