Meet our newest apprentice, Charlie
Ground Control has recently hired Charlie Nash to join our ICT team working in App Support. This is a wonderful opportunity for both Ground Control and Charlie who was happy to share his experience with us so far.
Please tell me about your role in ICT? I work within the App Support team as an ICT Apprentice, supporting the Service Desk. This involves providing assistance and testing the majority of applications that Ground Control utilises as a business, for example ICe2, SOMA, TotalView etc. I engage with Field Teams, Contracts Managers, office staff, and clients on a daily basis. Being an apprentice means that once a week I attend London South Bank University. I am working towards a degree in Digital and Technology Solutions, specialising in Data Analytics. This is a 4-year course and I am due to graduate in 2023.
Did you have any experience/training before you got the role? I transitioned directly into this role at Ground Control after achieving a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Software Development at Chelmsford College. I was never interested in attending University full time, as I was always keen to begin work and gain experience in the workplace. When the opportunity of an apprenticeship arose, I instantly knew that was the route I wanted to take. This enabled me to kick-start my career and get a foot in the industry, whilst also developing my technical skills at University.
How did you find out about Ground Control? As part of my course at college, I needed to complete 30 hours of work experience in my second year. I was researching companies and was reminded of Ground Control, as I walked past the head office every day to get to the train station. Ground Control intrigued me as it had a large presence for a local company, so I was interested to see how the ICT department operated. I reached out to Sim, who very kindly organised an experience week for me. After spending some time with the department, I really enjoyed my time in App Support. They invited me back for another week and subsequently offered me the Apprenticeship position.
What do you like so much about the role? And are there any challenges? For me, the highlight of the role is how much I learn on the job. It often feels like I pick up a new skill or piece of knowledge daily, which further improves my ability to troubleshoot and problem solve. It can definitely be challenging at times, especially due to the vast array of applications that we support, along with the wide range of end-users we provide support for. However, as much as the role is challenging, it is just as rewarding. I get a real buzz off of helping people; one of the best aspects of the role is receiving positive feedback and recognition of the hard work I put in.
What do you hope the future will bring in your career and Ground Control? I firmly believe that the apprenticeship scheme will highly benefit both me and Ground Control. Personally, it allowed me to begin my career at 18 years old, whilst still furthering my education. From the companies’ perspective, after I have completed my degree, I will have 4 years of invaluable experience. I hope to utilise this experience going forward to develop my career long term at Ground Control.
Please tell me about your hobbies/interests outside of Ground Control? I love playing football on Monday nights at Hannakins with Ground Control. It’s great fun and is also a really good way to socialise and get to know colleagues outside of the work environment. Naturally, I have an interest in computing and enjoy studying IT at University, along with completing research and keeping up to date with the latest technology in my own time.
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