Brett Vaton, 22, is a level 3 technical solutions specialist apprentice with IBM
“The idea of university never appealed to me,” said Brett. “Being tied to studying the same subject for three years, potentially taking a career path that would never utilise any of the skills I’d learn—and of course a student loan that would take years to pay off—surprisingly didn’t sound overly enticing.”
“Apprenticeships on the other hand are a complete contrast: the opportunity to work and learn alongside experts in their fields, kick-start a career in a chosen industry and ultimately get paid while doing so.”
“My career started in Farnborough, supporting and developing IT services. As my knowledge increased so did my responsibilities on the account; ultimately I had the privilege of providing one-to-one support to the C-suite of the client.”
“I’ve attended numerous courses throughout my apprenticeship, both exclusive to IBM and externally accredited, where I’ve gained certifications in Microsoft.Net programming and PRINCE2 project management.”
“I’m now coming up to three years with IBM and progressing into the company as a regular employee. The last few years have flown by, every day has been different, I’ve learnt so much and I’ve made some fantastic friends along the way. I have recently started a new role in London, giving me the opportunity to further develop my career by building upon new and existing skills. Apprenticeships, in my eyes, are the best of both worlds.”
