Meet Daniel Pownall: National Apprentice Week
We talked to Daniel about his experiences as an apprentice at Capula, here's what he said:
Can you introduce yourselves and share a little bit about your background?
I’m Dan, I’m 23 years old and I am a Level 3 Wiring Technician Apprentice.
When I left school, I completed a BTEC Level 3 qualification in Sport Studies at Blythe Bridge Sixth Form. My first job was working as a Ticket Office Assistant at Stoke City Football Club which I started just a couple of months prior to the beginning of the COVID lockdown. As a result of the lockdown, I was forced to find alternative employment and became a car detailer, valeting vehicles and removing imperfections from paintwork, which I did for 3 years before choosing to embark on an apprenticeship.
What motivated you to make the decision to pursue a career change and join this apprenticeship program?
The biggest motivation I had to embark on an apprenticeship programme was that I was worried about my career stagnating. I knew I wasn’t pushing myself anywhere near my full potential and I had a big desire to kickstart my career by doing something with opportunities for progression and with clear targets to work towards.
The Decision to Change Careers: What were the biggest factors in deciding to take this leap into a new field?
I wanted to get into an industry with opportunities to further my career and not just be stuck doing the same job day in day out with no scope for progression. Capula made it very apparent to me that there would be countless opportunities to progress my career with them if I was willing to put the work in.
Did you have any hesitations about becoming an apprentice later in your career and if so, how did you overcome them?
I had slight concerns about embarking on an apprenticeship at this later stage in my career but this was mainly down to my age. I perceived that the norm for starting an apprenticeship would be to do so start straight from school, but speaking to the current apprentices before I started helped to ease these concerns. At Capula, there are apprentices of all ages so I now know that there really wasn’t any need to be concerned.
Why did you choose Capula for your apprenticeship? What stood out to you about the company?
It became very apparent to me from my first interaction with Maria & Leanne from Capula’s learning & development and recruitment teams, that they would provide me with the opportunities I was looking for to try and build a meaningful career. What also stood out to me was the levels of support available throughout the company for apprentices. It was made clear that any issues that I could potentially face with my apprenticeship would be dealt with, and I would be supported with anything I needed.
How does Capula support you in achieving your career goals?
Capula offers additional training or courses that you feel may benefit your career and are more than happy to talk to you about what route you would like to go down in the future and how they can support this. There is scope for me to progress onto further levels of my apprenticeship upon completion of my Level 3 should that be what I choose to do.
How are you managing the balance between full-time work and university study?
I manage full-time work with my college course by always ensuring that I stay on top of the assignments that I am set. Once I am set an assignment at college, I allocate time right away to get the work done so I am never trying to catch up with little time left. I usually do this by simply doing an hour or two of college work a couple of nights a week until the assignment is complete.
What have you enjoyed the most about this apprenticeship so far?
Certainly, learning all the new practical skills the job entails, as before I started the apprenticeship I couldn’t even use a drill properly! Even after 4/5 months I feel as though I have learned so much, some of which I thought would take so much longer to grasp.