Why Does Apprenticeship Wear the 'Weird Uncle' Label? | By Diyora Islamova
My name is Diyora, and I am a data science apprentice, working at a construction company called Multiplex in London. Quite a while ago, I attended a meetup with other apprentices from Multiverse. The event was hosted near the centre of London at a nice restaurant. When all the apprentices arrived, we were from different areas - some were software engineering apprentices, and like myself, others were data science apprentices.
As we began giving introductions and sharing our stories in a modern-day fire pit, I realised that I was not alone in my confusion and apprehension about what I wanted to do with my life after A-levels. I had taken humanities subjects for my A-levels, but I had no desire to pursue higher education in that field. Interestingly, the other apprentices had very similar stories of feeling lost. It was comforting to discover that we all shared this common feeling, which melted the ice and brought us together.
During the meetup, I met women who had undergone career changes and were thankful to Multiverse for providing them with an easy transition to a completely different industry. One of the common thoughts we all shared was the importance of learning while doing. The sentiment that we learn most effectively when we can apply our learning in real-world situations.
The meetup continued, and we were served our food. There, I had my first and last taste of raw fish that day. I was grateful that I decided to attend this meetup because it gave me (I don't want to say clarity, as I had already felt that on the first day of joining my company and participating in workshops), but it did give me a sense of validation that my confusion was a shared experience. Knowing that others had similar doubts and uncertainties made me feel more at ease.
Reflecting on why I and other apprentices felt this way, there could be many contributing factors. For me, going to university has always been regarded as the only option for higher education. The apprenticeship model had often been given the reputation of a 'weird uncle,' lacking trust, you could say. It took me a while to change how I viewed and felt about my education. I now realise that my thoughts and opinions can evolve, and my experiences will give me a different outlook in the future. So far, the journey has been a great one. It's been amazing learning and working with Multiverse and Multiplex. Both have 'MULTI' good things about them…
Thank you!
Diyora Islamova is a data apprentice at Multiverse based in London, UK. She’s been writing for the Apprentice Lens as part of the Blogging Team. Here’s more about her:
“Hello! Writing is one of the most important and vital forms of communicating, sharing ideas and storytelling. As I start to learn more about Data, I realize how communication and storytelling are both key components of the Data Science Process. Through my blog posts, I hope to hone my skills and be able to effectively execute an idea in written form.”