What inspired you to choose this specific apprenticeship path?

 I’ve always wanted to learn more, and to have many strings to my bow. For me, having a wide range of skills means that I can slot into any role within the branch, offering support wherever I’m needed. I wanted to do a leadership course specifically to learn how to be a leader that people are confident in following, and how not to be a manager who gives orders and expects results to just magically happen!

Who was your biggest supporter during your apprenticeship?

I’m lucky to have multiple supporters, but my biggest supporter has to be my partner, who puts up with me constantly telling her about work! She encourages me to try to do more, and to be better at what I do. I also received a lot of support from a mentor; he used to be my manager and has himself been down the apprenticeship path. My current manager has also been really helpful, and is always available to support me and push me to aim higher.  

How has the programme set you up for success in your career?

This apprenticeship has helped me massively. It’s given me loads of skills that enable me to analyse different situations and work out how best to address them. When I became a manager, I knew I wanted to lead from the front, and to be consistent and reliable. Through my apprenticeships, I’ve been able to move between different areas of the business. I started 5 years ago as a yard assistant with no experience, and I was able to progress into a yard supervisor role and gain my HGV licence. I then started the L3 Leadership course and was offered a chance to move to an audit team and learn a different side of the business. After that, I was offered a role back in a branch as a Branch Operations Manager. Without the support of these courses and the people around me, there is no way that I would’ve been able to achieve these milestones.

If you could go back to your very first day, what is one piece of advice you’d give yourself?

I’d say take it all in and make sure you get involved. There’s so much to learn and experience in branch life. The only limiting factor is how much you want to do. Don’t stop trying, ask questions, and have ideas; if some of the ideas aren’t so good, learn from them and try again.

Is there anything else you’d like to share about your experience?

Since working for Keyline and the TP group, my life has completely changed. I’ve grown a lot as a person, and I’ve done and achieved things I wouldn’t even have considered before. I’d recommend it to anyone; if you’re motivated and want to go far, there absolutely are routes to do that!

We’d like to thank Jack for taking the time to tell us about his experience – Jack is one of many apprenticeship graduate success stories at Keyline.

If you’re interested in kick-starting your career with an apprenticeship, or if you want to broaden your learning, you can explore what’s on offer here: https://www.tpplccareers.co.uk/our-apprenticeship-programmes