A YOUNG apprentice from Coventry has spoken out about her journey with Cygnet Health Care.
Elle Day, 19, was the firm’s youngest apprentice and used the training pathway to find her dream job.
This week is National Apprenticeship Week 2023 which highlights the exceptional work undertaken by both apprentices and employers.
After missing out on joining the Royal Navy on medical grounds, Elle began studying geology, geography and environmental science at sixth-form college.
She found herself struggling and started looking at other options when a chance meeting sent her in a new direction.
Elle said: “I wasn’t doing well at college either educationally or mentally, then a family member who works at Cygnet Health Care mentioned their apprenticeships scheme.
“I have been on an amazing journey since then.”
Elle was accepted in July 2020, becoming Cygnet’s youngest ever apprentice at the age of 16.
She completed a Business Administration Level 2 course and is due to complete her new apprenticeship pathway – a Level 4 Cyber Security Technologist – Cyber Risk Analyst – in October.
Cygnet offers opportunities in nursing, healthcare, management, HR, IT and finance to help people grow their skills and embrace new challenges.
Elle was offered a role in the Information and Governance department in Cygnet’s Coventry office.
The plan was for her to do four months in three different sections – data protection, data quality and information security.
She enjoyed the first two but ‘really fell in love’ with information security.
“I was really intrigued and wanted to learn more.”
She now works in Information Security as a junior information security risk analysist.
She said: “I am hoping to continue my career in cyber security and further my knowledge by working with the team we have at Cygnet.
She added she did IT at school but was not very good so never thought about a job in security.
“Since I’ve been working at Cygnet, I haven’t looked back.”
Elle said she would recommend apprenticeships after working with people knowledgeable about what they did and gaining experience not available from text books.
“It’s an amazing opportunity, getting real life experience in an actual work environment.”
Suzanne Smith, Cygnet’s apprenticeship manager, Elle was a prime example of how apprenticeships benefited both the apprentice and the business.
Training is free to apprentices because Cygnet Health Care funded the programme through a levy, introduced by the government in 2017.
To date, more than 600 Cygnet Health Care staff have completed an apprenticeship pathway.
