Katie Bright – Active Essex Apprentice
Katie was appointed as a Sports Development apprentice in October 2015. Katie was placed and hosted by Braintree District Council and supported the work of Active Braintree. Katie has now completed her Sports Development apprenticeship.
What first interested you in the Sports Development apprenticeship with Active Essex?
I was first interested in the apprenticeship as I took a big interest in Sports Development when studying it at college. I had heard of Active Essex before through sport, and was excited that they were offering an opportunity to gain experience in a subject that I enjoyed.
Why did you apply for a position?
I applied for the position as I wanted to gain some experience in Sports Development and see how the sport industry works. It was a chance to see if I enjoyed that sector of work as much as I thought I would, while also gaining a qualification that will help me in the future at the same time. Luckily there were a couple of positions local to me, and around the county, making it easy for anyone to apply.
What experience and skills did you gain from the apprenticeship programme?
I gained many skills from the apprenticeship. These include improving my social skills with the networking that is involved, office skills as a lot of my time is based in an office, I gained further computer skills, and knowledge from my college NVQ lessons. I also attended workshops and training courses to expand my knowledge and interest, like first aid and event management courses for example. The experience I have had during my apprenticeship has been great. I appreciated being able to be involved in so many sports events and see/help the organising that goes into them. Also getting to experience the job, while working on the NVQ, taught me to time manage and prioritise effectively, as well as organising the events. It was brilliant, as it gave me the opportunity to experience a Sports Development role, while gaining a relevant qualification alongside it. An apprenticeship is like killing two birds with one stone.
What are you doing now you have finished your apprenticeship?
Now I have finished my apprenticeship, I have been kept on at my work place to begin a Level 4 apprenticeship in Business Administration. My job role will still include being involved with Active Braintree and sport, although it will now mainly be focusing on Health and Wellbeing. This gives me the chance to expand my knowledge, progress, and learn new things.
What are your career hopes for the future?
My career hopes for the future are to continue in the sport industry, working closely with health and wellbeing as they link very well. I aim to keep developing sport, create opportunities for everyone to take part, and to promote the importance of being physically active.