Casestudy and Interview with Jason Norris

 Jason looking back on his year as the Graduate Apprentice;

"I applied for the role as the Graduate Apprentice as I was unsure of where my career was heading as I graduated. Unlike my friends, I was hesitant to accept a role I was unsure about. Instead I opted for the opportunity to learn more about three separate types of business and then make an informed decision on which suited me best.

I can safely say that experiencing working at the different firms greatly improved my understanding of how the business world actually operates. I have seen how being part of a large multinational is not all about being a cog in a machine, the limitless number of opportunities that working for such a firm can have in contrast to the hands on experience and greater responsibility working for a SME can offer. At every stage of my year I was challenged to achieve, was supported in reaching my goals and encouraged to make a positive difference to each of the firms I was with and I feel at the end of the year I have learnt more than I did in my entire time at University. It’s opened doors to opportunities I never knew existed and made my CV stand out from all my peers. I could not recommend applying to the Graduate Apprentice more highly…. Being the Graduate Apprentice could change and shape your future career and the application process could not be simpler thanks to the graduate recruitment expertise of Graduate Advantage who jointly manage the programme with Birmingham Future."

 Giles Horwitch-Smith CEO of LMM, gives a point of view of one of the placement firms;

  “We felt the Graduate Apprentice Scheme would be an interesting addition to our CSR work and were delighted to be selected as one of the three placement firms in 2007-08. We found it to be an excellent experience for us all.

Following his year as the Graduate Apprentice, Jason is unrecognizable compared to the fresh faced, inexperienced student that I met at the beginning of the year. He now demonstrates significantly higher levels of confidence, critical thinking and high standards of accuracy and performance. If all graduates were given this experience during or at the end of university, I have no hesitation in saying it would improve the performance and quality of graduates entering employment. “