I'm Matthew Buchanan, and I was delighted to be a finalist for this year's Scottish Apprentice award. I have recently finished my degree apprenticeship with SP Energy Networks in cyber security. It's an exciting journey where I'm learning the practical and theoretical sides of everything cyber-related.
To celebrate Scottish Apprenticeship Week and National Careers week, I'm delving deeper into why I choose a graduate apprenticeship over a traditional university route. In this blog, I'll share my personal experiences and insights, highlighting the benefits and opportunities of an apprenticeship.
Why I chose an apprenticeship
I was planning to go to university after I'd finished school but finding the graduate apprenticeships and seeing that I could get the same degree and four years of experience working at the same time made a lot of sense.
The practical experience I've had on the job has been really useful. With the apprenticeship, you learn a lot more than you get a chance to at university as you can put theory into practice, putting into context how what you're taught fits into the bigger picture.
Skills for today's business environment
With the graduate apprenticeship, you have the opportunity to do things you wouldn't do through a full-time university course. I've had the chance to run projects, work with teams inside and outside the business and, install and develop new cutting-edge tools.
The importance of mentors and colleagues
The team have been supportive throughout the course – you get the chance to work on and get involved in a wide variety of projects, and you have experts in each that you can ask for help with any of them. The team also supports you through exams. As a lot of the team have completed similar university courses, they're happy to help talk through different subjects you might be struggling with and offer support and guidance.
Advice for future apprentices
The apprenticeship can be challenging at times, juggling exam timetables and deadlines, but it is worth it for the experience you get. I’m fortunate that at SP Energy Networks we’re surrounded by supportive colleagues who go over and above to help. I’d encourage anyone interested in an apprenticeship or an alternative career pathway to consider it.
I hope this insight into my graduate apprenticeship journey helps future apprentices understand the value and opportunities it can bring. If you're considering an apprenticeship, remember that while it may be challenging, like any career, the rewards and experiences are worth it!
You can find out more about careers at SP Energy Networks on our website - https://www.spenergynetworks.co.uk/pages/careers.aspx