How I got in: Harrison’s IT degree apprenticeship at Ford Motor Company

Harrison is currently completing a higher IT degree apprenticeship at Ford Motor Company and studying at the University of Greenwich. He wasn’t sure what pathway to follow but after learning about apprenticeships, he discovered that he could work at Ford and gain a degree at the same time.

What was your journey to Ford like?
So my journey really started with me wanting to go to university. However, a teacher recommended an apprenticeship to me and that was the turning point for me. So I decided to apply for an apprenticeship as I thought I would enjoy the learning style. I studied maths, computer science, and physics at A level, so I knew I had to find something that involved all of them which led me to this programme. 

Did you face any challenges when applying?
During the application process, the biggest challenge I faced was the fear of the unknown. I hadn’t done an interview let alone an assessment centre before, so I was really worried about how I’d perform in them. To help me overcome it, I began to follow other people's apprenticeship journey and that helped me understand how the process works. Knowing there were people out there who were in the same situation as me really reduced my worries. I also had a friend who applied for an apprenticeship which meant we could talk to each other to discuss anything that we didn't understand and go through any challenges we faced together, which helped with the later stages of the application. 

What helped with planning your next steps?
It took a while and I did a lot of research to make sure that I was making an informed decision about what I wanted to do with my future. My ideas of what I wanted to do were hugely influenced by my friends, family, and teachers. Unifrog in particular helped me put myself into people's shoes by seeing their stories and talking to people at webinars, all of which helped me envision where I could be in the future.

Do you have any advice for students thinking of applying? 
Believe in yourself and evaluate all the options until you find what's right for you. It might seem like a scary process, but if you push yourself out of your comfort zone and try out everything, you will achieve whatever you want. I think it's good to apply for more than just one apprenticeship and make sure you give 100% on each application because having backups and other choices is really important. 

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