Emillie Dady joined us as an apprentice in 2019 when she realised college wasn’t the right option for her and hasn’t looked back since.

With our newly launched Apprenticeships and Careers Hub, she’s just starting a second apprenticeship and is encouraging others to take up courses to gain qualifications and develop their skills.

Emillie said: “I chose to do an apprenticeship because at the time I had just left school and I started college and I wasn’t enjoying it at all. I thought it was the right thing to do because everyone else was doing it, but it wasn’t for me. So, I started looking at apprenticeships.

“I was interested in admin work at the time. I wanted to work. I wanted to get out and actually have that experience. I thought it was a good place to start, a good stepping stone… I didn’t realise how far it could go, but since I have been here for a while, I can see that there are so many prospects for the future.”

Emillie first did a Business Administration level two apprenticeship. She finished that course shortly before the Covid-19 pandemic and, after a break from studying, has now progressed onto the Business Administration level three apprenticeship course.

She says that while many people believe that apprenticeships are for school leavers, the reality is very different.

“I think one of the biggest things I didn’t know (before working at BHRUT) was that you can do an apprenticeship at any grade, any age,” Emillie said.

“It doesn’t matter how long you have been working. A lot of my managers who have been working here for 10 plus years are just now picking up apprenticeships, which they didn’t realise they could do in the past.

“I’ll definitely be doing another one after I have finished this.”

Emillie is already realising how apprenticeships are opening many doors for her future career, and says she would encourage others to do an apprenticeship at our Trust.

She added: “I didn’t know how far it can go. Hopefully for me I’ll end up being an education coach in the Apprenticeships team because I can keep doing apprenticeships to get to that point, which is crazy to me, as I will essentially be teaching. Which is something I have been interested in since I was younger.

“I am so glad I have done it, it has honestly changed my life.”