Sentinel Housing has just taken on one of its apprentices as a full-time member of its IT team. Adrian Dunwell joined Sentinel’s apprenticeship scheme in September 2013 straight after leaving school in Wokingham.
Adrian Dunwell said, “Originally I wanted to go to university, but I didn’t want the stress of debts and financial problems when I left so I decided to do an apprenticeship instead. A lot of my friends are at university so I hear about all the parties they go to, but I see my apprenticeship as a real stepping stone into a good career.”
After having studied IT at school, Dunwell went to an apprenticeship open day hosted by IT training provider QA who advised him about Sentinel’s scheme. After a one-day trial, he was accepted as one of the housing provider’s eight apprentices.
Dunwell said, “I’m now working towards my Microsoft Systems & Networking (Advanced) apprenticeship which will take me about 14 months to complete. I’m assessed on the work I do on the job and I also attend block release sessions to study for different IT qualifications. During my last two-week block, I passed the Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) Networking Fundamentals accreditation.
“Lately, I’ve been working on server management and on our IT helpdesk, which is great as you never know what the problem might be. There’s a lot for me to learn and I’ve made some mistakes, but I’ve learnt from them which is really important. I’m keen to work my way up and an apprenticeship is a great way to do so.”
Pete Davis, head of IT services, Sentinel Housing, said, “We’re really pleased to be helping Adrian take his first steps in his IT career. We’re looking to the long-term development of our team and for us, apprenticeships are a great way to increase productivity, introduce new ideas and improve skills. More than 100,000 employers currently employ apprentices and we’re very proud to be one of them.”
