Apprentice Spotlight: Carl Eustace, GloucestershireLive Apprenticeship Awards 2020 Finalist

Celebrating outstanding apprentices at Gloucestershire College

The winners of the GloucestershireLive Apprenticeship Awards 2020 are soon to be announced during a virtual awards ceremony on Thursday 19th November 2020. Gloucestershire College is proud to share the achievements of our outstanding apprentices, with six finalists in the awards this year. We are delighted to shine a spotlight on our finalists to celebrate their incredible achievements and inspire others to pursue an apprenticeship. Congratulations to all our finalists, we have our fingers crossed for you on the big night!

Carl Eustace, HR Administration Apprentice at Superdry

Firstly, congratulations on being shortlisted for Gloucestershire’s apprentice of the year! Tell us how does it feel to be a finalist?

It is really exciting to be shortlisted for the Gloucestershire Apprenticeship Awards. In all honesty, just being nominated was a massive surprise so to be in the final three for the Administrative & Financial Services category is incredible! I am really looking forward to the evening of the awards to celebrate the other apprentices in Gloucestershire.

To be nominated for this award shows how well I have done on my studies and supports the work I have been doing in my role too. It will be a boost for my career as it shows that I’ve worked hard to complete my apprenticeships with Superdry and that I am committed to my development as a HR professional with Superdry.

Completing the apprenticeships and then being nominated would not have been possible without the incredible support from my manager and the amazing HR team we have at Superdry.

You completed a Business Administration apprenticeship before progressing onto a HR Apprenticeship programme. What made you choose to do an apprenticeship originally?

I chose the apprenticeship originally as I had worked in a few places before doing lots of odd jobs, none of which had a long term career - which was what I was looking for. The apprenticeship in Business Administration was a great foundation towards this as essentially it gave me a qualification alongside experience of working in a role directly linked to it.

I then chose to progress onto my HR CIPD Level 3 apprenticeship as it was a HR specific course and directly relevant to my job but also a vital qualification when looking long term into a career in HR. Due to the benefits of the Business Administration apprenticeship, it felt like a natural next step and allowed me to gain additional HR knowledge alongside everything I was and still am learning in my role at Superdry.

Tell us about your job role as an apprentice?

My role initially was to provide HR admin support for our stores in the UK and Ireland. This involved setting up new starters on the HR system, making any pay changes and inputting leave dates as well as updating personal information. Over the course of the apprenticeship my role expanded to support Head Office, USA and our International employees as well plus also picking up many other extra duties.

What was your favourite thing about your apprenticeship?

My favourite thing about my apprenticeship was that it was the first job role I had that felt like it could lead to a genuine career - especially with Superdry. Superdry supported not only the work I was doing at the time but also my future development to grow as an administrator and as part of the HR team.

The fact that Superdry were, and still are, so flexible in how we approach my development is one of my favourite things about working here. From the initial apprenticeship itself, to becoming a qualified mental health first aider and allowing me to having frequent catch ups with my mentor, Superdry has been so supportive of me developing from an apprentice to a fully skilled member of the team from my first day with them.

Would you recommend doing an apprenticeship to others?

I would absolutely recommend an apprenticeship to anyone if they are trying to decide what to do next. This is because apprenticeships allow you to get qualified and paid whilst learning the foundation and specialist skills for your role working day in, day out with your employer. This mixture of development makes a massive difference at an early stage in your career.

I would especially recommend an apprenticeship with Superdry as they have been amazing from the very start. Not only have they helped me learn my current role but they are also committed to my long term development via the apprenticeships and other courses I have been on. This commitment to developing me in my role and helping me to earn qualifications has set me up to be in a brilliant position long term for my HR career here with Superdry.

How have you found the support from Gloucestershire College during your apprenticeship?

Gloucestershire College has been a great support during the apprenticeship due to their flexibility and understanding of that whilst I am studying, I am ultimately working a full time job alongside the course. Due to this, they have been really supportive in terms of deadlines and when the best time to catch up and check in regularly on my progress. They have also been great at letting me work as independently as needed during the course. Their support is always there as and when needed.

Congratulations from everyone at Gloucestershire College, Carl! Best of luck for the awards.

Gloucestershire College Apprentice Finalists in the GloucestershireLive Apprenticeship Awards 2020

• Carl Eustace, HR Apprentice at Superdry Plc in the Business, Administrative & Financial Services category
• Ella Russell, Business Administration Apprentice at Tewkesbury School in the Business, Administrative & Financial Services category
• Jack Chapman, Engineering Apprentice at Renishaw in the Engineering, Manufacturing, Energy & Electrical category
• Ellie Martin, Business Administration Apprentice at Pittville School in the Health, Wellbeing, Care & Education category
• Imogen Collins, Dental Nursing Apprentice at myFACE Dentistry and Facial Aesthetics in the Health, Wellbeing, Care & Education category
• Shannon Phillips, Customer Service apprentice at Truly Tailored Recruitment in the Hospitality, Travel & Customer Service category

Gloucestershire College is a proud finalist for Gloucestershire's Apprenticeship Training Provider of the Year 2020

Director of Apprenticeships and Employer Training, Julie Tegg, said: “We are delighted to be named a finalist in this year’s apprenticeship awards. Thanks to our industry-expert trainers, bespoke programmes accredited by leading bodies and new training suites created with employer input, we provide businesses with cutting-edge training solutions that are flexible and responsive to skills gaps. 

“As always, the success of our apprenticeship programmes lies largely with our dedicated teams at the GC Business Hub, so I would like to thank them all once again for their hard work and look forward to celebrating with them on awards night!” 

Watch the virtual awards live on Thursday 19th November 2020

We’re looking forward to finding out the winners, congratulations to all the finalists! The event will be streamed live on YouTube from 6.30pm and hosted by Steve Knibbs from BBC Points West.