PEOPLE
Apprenticeship stories From apprenticeship to career
MY connection with libraries starts off further back into an earlier point of my time at school, where the local college library was my first taste of work experience.
Prior to becoming an apprentice, I had already completed my degree at university in Creative Writing and English and would describe myself as having a rather varied and eclectic background. I had many years of voluntary experience behind me – from serving on a number of advisory boards and project groups; working with charities, including the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Royal College for Paediatrics and Child Health (besides others!).
After working as a youth project worker locally and regionally on temporary contracts, coming into my role at Dorset County Hospital (DCH) was a fortuitous mix of chance and timing.
It is worth noting that my eventual colleagues were incredibly open to offering reasonable adjustments ahead of my interview and gave sight of the questions shortly before I faced them. I strongly feel that declaring any disability and needs in your potential role will prevent likely issues further down the line and create a sense of openness in confiding with your team. Indeed, for my apprenticeship, the overall course pathway was able to accommodate the adaptations to meet my needs, including 1:1 tutorials throughout the duration and support provided in my eventual End-Point Assessment (EPA).
As the apprenticeship began to progress, I felt it was vital to maintain a steady and methodical approach across all of my assignments. Whether it was exploring the library service offering or getting to grips with knowledge management, I always sought the insights of the team around me to gather information about the library itself, the function we played at DCH and the sector in which we were part of – Knowledge for Healthcare.
In many ways, this apprenticeship was the perfect starting point having a broad sampling of all that I needed to know about where I worked and the context of how we meet the needs of our varied customer base. Even when I had to reach out further afield to other local organisations, as we have no archival remit as a health library, it encouraged me to be curious about what I was writing about each month. I also had to ensure that I was not looking at it from a purely objective standpoint, but that I could also demonstrate my own involvement as part of the written output. One of the biggest hurdles was describing the role of
40 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL
archives and preservation. It became apparent that there would be little content that could be detailed from my own place of work. It was by good fortune that DCH happens to be geographically near the county’s archive facility, the Dorset History Centre, and where I had also previously worked for a brief period as part of a project. By reaching out and asking to get a tour of the centre, this was soon organised and I was able to gather the evidence I needed. I also kept a close eye on upcoming online events, whereby a relevant webinar was also held on this subject.
When it came to my EPA, I was heavily dependent on the participation of staff to attend an event – not always easy in a hospital! While the turnout was a small group, I found it was essential to provide good communication and ensure they felt informed about what was happening, which I did with a briefing pack. Writing a 4,500 word report afterwards should never be an overnight job – having the time to do it during your working hours is invaluable.
As I look forward now to the future of a career in the profession, any potential apprentice should use the time on this course to consider if it’s something they want to pursue after receiving the result of your EPA. It’s a way to also exercise your initiative – something to be mindful of in your off-the-job hours – and find out how to make the most of your professional development. What is most helpful is a willingness to explore the sector of your library’s purpose – if there was one common observation from our own colleagues in the hospital, it has always been more than just computers and books. IP
June 2024
Jack Welch.
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