Before coming to City Gateway I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I didn’t really have any confidence and definitely lacked belief in myself. I hadn’t had the best experience at school either. I found myself falling behind with my maths and English because I struggled to understand it and therefore found it difficult to concentrate. I was then left with bad grades and not much opportunity to get onto courses I wanted to do.
That was when one of my best friend’s, who was already at City Gateway, suggested I too sign up. I did so and joined their traineeship which featured a four week work placement at IBM as part of their Ignite scheme. It was really great and gave me experience of working in an office environment, something I’d not done before.
City Gateway is different to other schools or colleges because the coaches and tutors put a lot of time in to each individual and try to cater to your needs. They are very supportive in helping you achieve your best. They helped me overcome my lack of confidence and taught me if I put my mind to it I can achieve anything I want.
After my time at IBM I managed to secure an apprenticeship with NSPCC. During my apprenticeship I improved my communication skills which helped me when working with different stakeholders such as vulnerable people and colleagues. I now feel more confident that I am communicating effectively. It also helped my organisational and time management skills where I plan my workload each day to ensure I am meeting my deadlines. I learnt so many skills during my apprenticeship that will help me as I develop and progress in the future.
City Gateway gave me an opportunity to develop my skills during my apprenticeship and helped me become a better version of myself. Now I have a permanent role with NSPCC and am able to share my knowledge and experiences with the current City Gateway apprentice as their mentor.
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