Navigating a complicated education landscape towards career success

I am currently a Senior Strategy Advisor, Public Speaker, and self-declared Apprenticeship Advocate! I started my apprenticeship scheme at 18 years old, and it was life changing. This experience has fuelled my passion for advocating for similar opportunities for all young people.

In this piece, I will share my experiences as a young person navigating a complicated education landscape and how, even today, I am still forging my path in that same environment.

I found my apprenticeship scheme by luck, which surprisingly is not a rare statement. This was after sixth form for me. I had finished studying Business, Geography, and Government & Politics (the latter significantly influenced my journey). Like many sixth formers, University was touted as the best route for us. With hindsight, I understand why. Many teachers only knew this path, and at the time, UCAS was the primary platform schools used.

With all this swirling in my mind, along with pressures from friends, family, and society, I considered other routes, especially apprenticeships, which weren’t well understood or popular. Factors included the sectors offering them, the pay (still an issue in some cases), and their standing in the education ecosystem. Nonetheless, I began researching apprenticeships to see what was available. I was surprised to find a range of opportunities in various sectors, including high-paying jobs! So, I began applying. One by one, I worked my way through the government website, applying to banking, insurance, and business companies.

This is when I faced my next hurdle: responses and feedback were almost non-existent. My ambition started to wane as I questioned my readiness for the roles, my experience, and whether I was what they were looking for. It's hard to understand why an organisation says no or nothing at all, and it’s even harder to improve for the next application without feedback. Resilience is the key word here. It’s far easier said than done, but if I could take one lesson from this, it’s to not be disheartened but to carry on trying.

This persistence led me to the Civil Service Policy Apprenticeship scheme. Out of all the schemes, this was the highest paying one and had no pay discrimination for apprentices! I was starstruck, especially since I was deeply interested in politics. I felt like I had found the one for me.

I applied, and so began the nail-biting wait to see if I would be accepted. After recent rejections, I had convinced myself that I wouldn’t be, but deep down, I knew this was the one I wanted. I was ecstatic to progress through each stage: the online tests, the assessment centre with its three tasks—a written exercise, a presentation, and an interview.

Then came the gruelling wait, where you are at the mercy of a company whose simple yes or no could significantly impact your future. I was elated to receive the acceptance email, and, in all honesty, I did a few laps around the house celebrating!

Four years on, I am still happy with my decision to pursue an apprenticeship. I was fortunate to be involved in a lot of interesting work as an apprentice. Brexit, COVID-19, and changes in ministers and governments made for exciting times. I was also lucky to be promoted while still an apprentice, something I didn’t know was possible! My work also allowed me to engage in volunteering, a passion since sixth form. I mentored new apprentices, supported future apprentices as Regional Lead for the HMRC apprenticeship network, visited schools (both virtually and physically) to share my journey, managed our office’s Work Experience Programme, and delivered our first pilot! All these opportunities helped me develop and discover my passions.

I have been recognised at both organisational and national levels, winning the HMRC Apprentice Ambassador of The Year award 2023 and the Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards, Finance and Accounting Apprentice of The Year, and overall Apprentice of The Year 2023. These awards have further altered my trajectory and given me a platform I never expected or planned for! For which I am forever grateful! With this platform, I have expanded my reach, taking on more roles and opportunities. I give keynote speeches, deliver workshops, attend conferences, and use this platform to focus on areas where we can improve.

This blog, coinciding with Youth Employment Week, is meant to show you that it’s never as easy as it looks! We all face hurdles and challenges. I will face more challenges and am still finding solutions to my current ones, but how we respond and deal with them is what defines us. I hope this blog inspires you, as I believe anyone can achieve their goals with genuine hard work. I hope it motivates you to pursue whatever you are passionate about and chase your dreams. More importantly, I hope it highlights the power of apprenticeship schemes and how they genuinely change lives. My story is one of thousands! Let’s give every young person that same opportunity and feeling!

Joseph Lennox CHA

Senior Strategy Advisor at HMRC | Public Speaker | Apprenticeship Advocate | School Governor

You can find out more and connect with Joseph on LinkedIn.