Starting My Journey

Written by Apprentice Amy Lowe

I’m one of 13 new apprentices to start my year long journey as an apprentice with Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service and I would like to share with you how my first week went.

I am working as an Emergency Response Hub Assistant Apprentice based at Fire Service Head Quarters in Swinton. My first two days of the apprenticeship were spent alongside the other apprentices.  We had an induction at the Training and Development Centre in Manchester. We had a lot of forms to fill out and various members of GMFRS staff came in to visit us to talk to us about their job role and the departments that they worked within.

We also had our pictures taken and we were featured in the Manchester Evening News.  A picture I took of all of us using a selfie stick was up on the GMFRS website and Social Media - which I am quite pleased with!

On the third day I started my role at Head Quarters and I was shadowing someone in the ER Hub to see what kind of work that is on offer, I found this really interesting.

Day four involved me being given a small task to do by my line manager. I also had a little interview with a Senior Communications Officer from our Corporate Communications team for an article for the Routine Circular – which is an online weekly newsletter for Fire Service Staff and Volunteers.

Friday, March 13, was my fifth day and I was a busy managing a mailbox and I was shown the system to review and book holidays for colleagues.  I enjoy being busy and felt happy to have something to do.

The 'GMFRS' Journey

Written by Business Fire Safety Advisor Laura Broughton

It has been over a year since our journey started as apprentices for Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service. So much has changed and each of us have grown so much as individuals. I can proudly say myself and the other apprentices have secured ourselves jobs within the service and have started our dream careers.

 I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the members of Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service and The Manchester College staff for the support that they have invested in us for the past 12 months. We really couldn’t have done it without them. Thank you to you, the public, for reading about all our experiences and supporting the apprentices with your positive feedback.

 Writing the blog has been a significant part of my apprenticeship and promoting the fantastic work Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service do with young people like me. Behind the scenes, Chris Toon who wrote the blog last year as an apprentice and gained a full time CSA role has been my editor and my helper when I have had a case of writers block. I have also now got the pleasure of telling you that on the 9^th March, 13 young people joined us as the new apprentices of GMFRS.

Last week Chris and I met the new apprentices and introduced them to the work we have completed on the blog alongside staff from the Corporate Communications Department. It was our mission to recruit the new apprentices to take over writing for the apprentice blog with their own new experiences. We had a lot of interest and I’m very excited to read what they have been up to. 

 Ella is one of our new Community Safety Advisor Apprentices that we will be hearing from in the near future, she said;

 'When I joined the Princes Trust team, I never thought I'd end up where I have but it's the best opportunity I've been given. All hard work has paid off and I'm looking forward to starting my apprenticeship as a Community Safety Advisor'

 We will be uploading new stories to the blog on a regular basis, updating you on what the new apprentices have been up to.