Kyle Harley is a Degree Apprentice with Oxford-based global market research company Nielsen. Kyle has attended many events as an Apprenticeship Ambassador, including visiting his former school, Wood Green School in Witney to share his experiences with students.

As we celebrate Volunteers Week this week (1-7 June), Kyle explains what he's gained from his Apprenticeship and Apprenticeship Ambassador role and why he feels it's important for students in schools to hear from other young people about their experiences as Apprentices. 

Kyle says: "Being an Apprenticeship Ambassador is the opportunity to represent and share your story with future Apprentices. I believe speaking to potential Apprentices helps connect us with students and inspire them from our own experiences.

An Apprenticeship has often been associated with construction or mundane tasks; however, an Apprenticeship is the opportunity to work, and most importantly develop, alongside highly skilled and knowledgeable colleagues who will help guide and transition you in your learning to your role in a work environment.

As an ambassador, you will be able to go to students and share your experiences and understanding of what an Apprenticeship really offers. As an Apprentice, I have learnt and built a hub of knowledge in an academic and working environment. This has given me the opportunity to build theory and apply it in my own development.

Working with other Apprenticeship Ambassadors enables you to be involved in opportunities as an individual and team and discuss similar experiences to provide the most relevant and useful information for students to gauge what an Apprenticeship can offer.

I have had a lot of opportunities now to go out and talk to students and their parents. This has been at large careers fairs where all schools from across the area gather and find out more about what an Apprenticeship can really offer. I have also been able to visit schools including my old school. These assemblies gave me the chance to talk about my personal experiences and look further into Apprenticeships  as school students do not always get to see what else is out there due to the big push on university. Following this students were free to ask questions and ask me more about what I do and how and why I became an Apprentice. 

Events such as these don’t just provide younger students with information but also they have allowed me to develop my skills further. Public speaking in a big part within the world pf business and being able to speak to 50-100 people on a regular basis has improved my confidence and presentation skills. I can’t wait to continually go out to these events so I can do my best to guide students to the right career paths for them and also better myself and help me in my career going forward.

Every time I go to an event I feel really passionate about what we do as Apprenticeship Ambassadors and I know that as a student sat in school assemblies can be really boring but by listening to someone of a similar age and that has been there helps convey the message and show you can do whatever you want."

If you're interested in getting involved in our work with schools, or becoming an Apprenticeship Amabssador, please email skills@oxfordshirelep.com to find out more.