Ethan currently works full-time within the IT Department at the Hospice and studies at UCM one evening a week.
At University College Isle of Man (UCM) we embrace lifelong learning and ensure that we provide opportunities for students to build on their education at any point during their life.
An apprenticeship programme at UCM can offer the perfect career-building solution to those who find it easier to learn whilst working within their chosen industry, or those who are unable to commit to a full-time course due to personal commitments.
Research shows that students on an apprenticeship programme are often more financially secure and have higher employment prospects once they have completed their course – in fact, a study conducted by the UK Governments Department of Education showed that 74% of apprentices who had never worked before, had since moved in to and remained in full-time paid employment.
We caught up with current UCM student, Ethan Herbert, in his place of work and asked him about his experience on the IT Apprenticeship Programme at UCM.
Name: Ethan Herbert
Course: Level 4 BTEC HNC in Computing
Place of Work: Hospice Isle of Man
Ethan currently works full-time within the IT Department at the Hospice and studies at UCM one evening a week. Ethan heard about the role at the Hospice whilst coming to the end of a previous course at UCM, he successfully secured the job and is currently leading an exciting project within the Hospice to improve the communication software that they use to connect with off-island medical specialists - reducing the need for consultants to travel for meetings. The outcome of the project is likely to not only result in cost savings for the Hospice, but also to improve the efficiency to speak with medical professionals in a timelier manner, improving the lives of both the staff and the patients.
Q: How long is your apprentice course?
A: The course is two years long and I study at UCM every Tuesday afternoon.
Q: How did you end up on this apprenticeship course?
A: I was already working for the Hospice and my employer was keen for me to continue studying, so I started the Apprenticeship programme in September 2018.
Q: Have the staff at UCM been supportive?
A: The staff at the college have been really supportive. I’ve been able to communicate with them via email whenever I need their assistance, which is really useful as I am only at the college an evening a week.
Q: Has working in this role whilst studying helped you to learn quicker than you might have done without the work-experience?
A: I’ve found that working at The Hospice has really complimented my studies, and before this I had no prior work-experience in I.T. Having a nice balance of working and studying at UCM has definitely improved my overall knowledge.
Q: Would you recommend UCM?
A: Yes. I believe the apprenticeship programmes at UCM are really beneficial for anyone who is looking to earn while they learn.
Find out more…
UCM offers a growing number of apprenticeship courses for those who would like to earn whilst they study or those who are already working but wish to build their education.
The options for learning are now broader than ever, making it even more important to research and find the best route of education to suit you and help increase your future career prospects. View our existing apprenticeships programmes here. Find out more about our Computing course here.