As part of National Apprenticeship Week, we’re taking the time to shine a spotlight on the incredible talent within our team especially our apprentices who are learning, growing, and making a real impact.

Today, we’re catching up with Jonathan, our Baltic Apprenticeship Level 3 IT Technician Apprentice, to hear about his apprenticeship journey so far. From his first impressions of the role to the skills he's developing and the challenges he's tackling, Jonathan has been immersing himself in the world of IT.

Join us as we celebrate apprenticeships, explore Jonathan’s experience, and learn more about the value of hands-on learning in the tech industry. 🚀

Sit Down Chat with Jonathan

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what apprenticeship programme you’re a part of?

Hello, I’m Jonathan Lam and have recently started on Baltic Apprenticeships' ICT (Level 3) Support Technician programme.
I graduated from the University of Essex in 2020 with a BSc and MSc in Biomedical Science and Cancer Biology, and I previously worked as an NHS Test & Trace Scientist for around two years.
My hobbies are PC and console gaming, as well as watching anime. My favourites are the Monster Hunter series and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, respectively.
I’ve also started learning video editing to display my builds from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in an interesting way.

What made you choose an apprenticeship over other education or career paths?

After being made redundant from my previous role, I struggled to secure a new entry-level job in the life sciences field. After hundreds of job applications and only a handful of unsuccessful interviews, I realised that experience was valued significantly more than education.

The problem is the classic Catch-22: you need a job to gain experience, but you need experience to get a job. On top of this, because of the amount of time I invested in job hunting (along with the time since I completed my university studies), I had forgotten most of my biomedical knowledge and skills. Unfortunately, there is no free public lab to practise biomedical lab techniques.

I decided to cut my losses and instead invest my time into developing marketable skills in a field that I find interesting and engaging, which already aligns with my hobbies.
The National Careers Service notified me of TDM’s funded Tech & Cyber Skills Bootcamp, which provided a pathway to learn IT skills, as well as a variety of soft skills, and showcase them to prospective employers through the creation of an e-portfolio and video pitch.

Although I had previously helped solve IT issues for my friends and family, I wanted to further develop my IT skills so I could help others in an official and professional capacity. However, since I have no formal background in IT, I needed hands-on experience where I could immediately apply my learning and receive feedback—ideally within a structured environment that would help cement my knowledge long-term and allow me to quickly apply it in a practical setting. Additionally, an apprenticeship allows me to learn while earning enough money to cover living expenses.

An apprenticeship, therefore, seemed like the most ideal pathway to take, unlike university, where there is often a delay between learning and applying skills and knowledge.

What does a typical day look like in your apprenticeship?

It’s a mix of online learning and practical work. Although there’s a general structure to my day, each day is different.
Outside of the days set for apprenticeship studies, I log onto my work laptop to ensure Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Slack, the 3CX phone system, and the SuperOps ticketing system are open. I make sure to answer any outstanding queries.

For tasks that I’m unfamiliar with, I shadow colleagues and take notes on what to do.

I am also assigned hardware-related tasks, such as installing Windows 11 and setting up new devices for clients. Additionally, I handle cleaning devices, upgrading hardware, and troubleshooting BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) issues.

What advice would you give to someone considering an apprenticeship?

If you ever find yourself in a similar situation to mine—unable to enter industries related to your degree and stuck in the limbo of being overqualified but inexperienced—it can be easy to see yourself as a failure who is unable to meet their potential or life goals.
You might start believing thoughts such as “Of course, no company will risk employing someone with little experience” or “I don’t deserve to succeed in life.”

However, if you demonstrate a growth mindset, a willingness to learn, a genuine passion and interest in the role/industry, and can showcase your transferable skills, employers looking for apprentices are often willing to take a chance and invest in you.

Realistically, the biggest hurdle will be passing interviews (especially if you’re introverted or neurodiverse). The system can be daunting and extremely disheartening, but I recommend the following if you're struggling:

• Take the job description for the apprenticeship and create a Word document with written responses to each requirement using the STAR method. Use different highlight colours to make it easier to remember your responses.

• Practise reciting your interview responses out loud multiple times until you can repeat them without using notes (but do ask if you can bring notes to an interview, just in case).

• Ask for help from a careers coach to review your practice interview responses.

• Emphasise that you are willing to learn and have a growth mindset.

• If possible, complete a funded skills bootcamp beforehand so you can back up your STAR responses with evidence from your coursework projects.

Finally, you’re never too old for an apprenticeship. There’s always time to turn your life around. If you can’t do something related to your degree, try something else that you find engaging and stimulating.

If you could describe your apprenticeship in three words, what would they be?

Flexible, Supportive, and Stimulating.

What’s been your favourite hands-on task or project so far?

Fixing a computer that was stuck in a BSOD boot loop has been my favourite task so far. I enjoyed using a mix of logical trial and error and independent research to find and implement a solution. It was extremely satisfying when I was able to overcome the challenge and finally log into the device.