Meet the Apprentices - Meet Hilary Jarrett-Firat, East of England LGA

Each day during #NAW2020 we will be introducing you to inspirational apprentices and rising stars, working in Local Government in the East of England, who blaze their own trail.

I started with East of England LGA in December 2017 in an admin role and quickly realised my interest in HR; so when an opportunity arose to join the Employer Services team I was thrilled. The organisation were very encouraging and supportive and suggested I study towards a professional qualification, with the most obvious route being through an Apprenticeship.

Working and studying at the same time can prove tricky, particularly in a small organisation, but where there is a will there is a way, and my managers are very strict about study time, and ensure I have the time I need.

The best thing about being an apprentice is the experience you get while studying. You can apply what you are learning to a working environment and that makes it all so much more REAL than purely academic study.

I am now working towards my professional HR qualification, the CIPD level 5, in my current role as an HR Advisor and I absolutely love it.

Hilary’s Line Manager, Lucy Ashwell, Senior Manager, added “It is great having an apprentice in the team as it really makes you think about what you are doing and why and if there is a better way. Hilary is a great team member and gets involved in a wide range of activities that contribute to the off the job training because they are new and different which helps us out enormously. Of course, being full of natural curiosity makes Hilary a great learner too.”

Apprenticeships give the opportunity to look beyond traditional routes into employment and allow you to explore a diverse range of career options in local government and beyond. Our #NAW2020 feature provides just a small taster of the true value that an apprenticeship can bring, to both individuals, local authorities and the wider community in the East of England.