Nottinghamshire Police congratulates apprentices who landed full-time staff roles

Four apprentices have landed full-time staff roles at Nottinghamshire Police and more positions are up for grabs.

Rachel Daughtry, Kyle MacDonald, Daniel Petter and Cameron Sheridan were offered employment in the organisation’s information services department after passing their 18-month apprenticeships with distinctions.

Rachel, Daniel and Cameron have been recruited as customer service technicians, while Kyle has landed a role as an IT support engineer.

Nottinghamshire Police established its own apprenticeship programme in 2019, with the aim of recruiting a number of apprentices in various roles across the police service.

Rachel, 19, applied for an apprenticeship after she was made redundant from her retail job due to coronavirus.

She said: “I was just browsing for work as I don’t like not doing anything and an advert for a customer service technician popped up. It sounded quite interesting so I thought I’d give it a go.

“I’m really pleased I did. I struggle in a classroom environment so doing an apprenticeship has been really beneficial, as you get to learn on the job.

“I’m really happy to have secured a permanent job as I don’t have to worry now about what’s next.”

Daniel, 21, said his customer service technician apprenticeship included a comprehensive spectrum of work, enabling him to develop a variety of skills.

He said: “It’s been a great experience. I’ve gained a lot of knowledge and it’s improved my confidence no end, as I’ve needed to communicate with a variety of people across the organisation.

“When I started I thought everyone would be really formal, being a police force. But whilst everyone’s professional they’re also really friendly. It’s a great place to work.”

Cameron, 21, completed the same apprenticeship and said: “It’s been great. Every day is different and brings a new challenge. It’s a role where you don’t know what’s going to happen next or who’s going to come in with a problem that needs fixing.

“It never gets tedious or boring so it was a great feeling when I was offered the job. I’ve got that financial stability now and so can for the future.”

Kyle, who has landed a temporary role covering a colleague on maternity leave, said he had no regrets about choosing an apprenticeship over going to university.

“It’s been brilliant,” the 19-year-old said. “I didn’t want to go to university so an apprenticeship really appealed to me.

“It’s involved a lot of coursework and five exams — including a 40-hour exam spread across a week — so there’s been a lot to learn. But the thing I like about IT is you can have 20 years’ experience and still not know everything. You learn something new every day.”

Lee Aram, Nottinghamshire Police’s lead for incident management and who managed the four apprentices, said: “When they started, it was a new experience for everyone involved. The support provided by the IS department, Nottinghamshire Police and the West Notts College cannot be overlooked.

“The apprentices have brought fresh ideas and put a face to IS. Their dedication and drive to put the customer first has become the norm and has been greatly received. Each of them really owned their projects and developed them in their own unique way.”

Toni McMonigle, the digital support manager, said: “All four of them have over-exceeded expectations.

“They are regularly getting praise for their professionalism, their knowledge and the way they represent the department from various people across the organisation.”

The apprenticeships were delivered in partnership with Vision West Nottinghamshire College and involved a mix of classroom learning and on-the-job training.

Gregg Thompson, of the employer engagement team at Vision West Nottinghamshire College, said: “We’re really pleased to see Rachel, Cameron, Daniel and Kyle secure permanent employment with Nottinghamshire Police.”

The force is currently recruiting for a number of apprenticeships, including a crime scene investigator assistant apprentice, contact management apprentice and a people services HR support apprentice.