Story by Community Safety Support Officer (Formerly Apprentice Will)
This time one year ago I was given a great opportunity to join a Princes Trust 12 week course at Manchester Central Fire Station.
This was a great experience for me as I learnt a lot about myself and experienced activities I never thought I would ever be able to complete.
This time one year ago I was given a great opportunity to join a Princes Trust 12 week course at Manchester Central Fire Station.
This was a great experience for me as I learnt a lot about myself and experienced activities I never thought I would ever be able to complete.
I passed the course with flying colours and really felt throughout the 12 weeks that it was a life changing experience. Shortly after completing the course I received an e-mail inviting me to apply for the Community Safety Advisor Apprenticeship and I jumped at the opportunity.
I have since been able to keep in touch with many of the people within GMFRS that helped me to complete my course and have been not only offered help and support, but I have been able to return it by supporting my old Prince's Trust Team leaders with activities on the next course and with the next group of people to be helped by GMFRS.
Since successfully becoming one of the 12 apprentices, I have been based at Manchester Borough where I was given a warm welcome by the rest of the Prevention Team. After a short while I was already making strong partnerships with the community safety advisors, working with them day in day out. I have been able to work, not only within my team, but I was shown the trust and freedom to develop my own ideas and allow me to grow as an individual within the organisation. Four months into the apprenticeship I was given the opportunity to work on my own initiative booking Home Safety Checks and completing them with one of my fellow apprentices, Tom Kelly.
I received an e-mail alerting me to an opportunity to apply for a Community Safety Support Officer role in Bolton. My eyes lit up as I was reading the job description as it described the work I was currently doing and enjoying in Manchester Central. Some of my colleagues had been CSSOs in the past and they explained the role would suit me and offered their support to apply. I was delighted when I was successful securing the role I have been working at Bolton for a week now and again been given a warm welcome.
I received an e-mail alerting me to an opportunity to apply for a Community Safety Support Officer role in Bolton. My eyes lit up as I was reading the job description as it described the work I was currently doing and enjoying in Manchester Central. Some of my colleagues had been CSSOs in the past and they explained the role would suit me and offered their support to apply. I was delighted when I was successful securing the role I have been working at Bolton for a week now and again been given a warm welcome.
I am looking forward to developing my new role in Bolton as I enjoy meeting new people and facing new challenges. I know the rest of the apprentices have what it takes to gain further employment and I wish each one of them the best of luck, I am fully aware that they are very proud that we have started making a big impact in the organisation and now we have the first one of us with a job.
I would advise any young person to apply for apprenticeships as they are a great way to gain qualifications whilst you work and also it gives you the experience and skills set you need to complete a full time role the job you are interested in. I would not have been able to get the experience and obtain the role I have without my apprenticeship from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service.
Finally I would like to thank the apprentices and Manchester Central prevention team for supporting me, a special thanks to Angela Baker and Claire Nicholls for taking time to teach me everything I know about fire safety. Not forgetting Ros Hopkins and Georgina Marks for being great managers and supporting me through new and different challenges.
