Broadcast: News items

Glenn Bracey and Andrew Grinsted

ITS Services have appointed a recent graduate of the University of Sussex apprenticeship scheme to their Desktop Support department.

Junior Desktop Technician, Glenn Bracey, became the first apprentice to join ITS in June 2019 through a partnership with QA Apprenticeships.

Glenn’s line manager, Head of Service Operations and Change, Andrew Grinsted, said: “We selected the IT Service Desk as the ideal place for Glenn to gain first-hand experience of working with a diverse range of technical systems, and customer service experience.

“Eighteen months on and the result has been incredible. Glenn has brought a boundless energy and enthusiasm to the role and has surpassed all our expectations.

“Glenn’s technical expertise helped us transform the capabilities of our Service Desk, a process which we hope to continue with our second apprentice – as Glenn moves on to other challenges within the department after completing his apprenticeship.”

We spoke to Glenn about his experience as a Sussex apprentice:

What first attracted you to the role and apprenticeship at the University of Sussex?

From a young age, I started tinkering with laptops and computers, learning from online guides and testing things practically. At college I found that I was struggling to learn in the normal “book learning way”. I found that where I was unable to apply the knowledge I learnt practically, I’d then forget what I had learnt.

I was informed that an apprenticeship/internship may be the right path for me by my college career advisor, as you get the opportunity to apply everything you learn on the job, so I cancelled my application for an undergraduate course and started looking for an apprenticeship.

I was attracted to the apprenticeship role at the University because a place as substantial as Sussex would have a far bigger infrastructure and budget compared to a smaller IT department. I thought it would give me the chance to develop my skills in such a way that I would be set up and in good standing for a future in IT, regardless of where that path might take me.

What qualification did you achieve?

I achieved a Distinction in the BCS Level 3 course to be a qualified Infrastructure Technician. This consisted of many modules that allowed me to learn and then apply the skills I learned in practice labs or in my day-to-day job. The course, hosted by QA, contained a wide range of IT subjects to allow myself to really get a feel for what part of IT I’d like to specialize in. For me, my favourite was the cloud services course, which was a Microsoft qualification. With this and the support of my colleagues, I now have a firm grasp on the fundamentals of Microsoft 365, email and Azure.

How did you manage to study towards your qualification as well as working in a busy team?

My apprenticeship was constructed into four different modules. Part of the course was five industry-standard qualifications provided by BCS and Microsoft. These must be completed either at QA’s training centres in London or remotely via Webex. There is also a portfolio that I was required to complete over the course of my apprenticeship. Sussex were more than happy for me to dedicate as much time as I needed to complete this work. There is an end week project where you get to build and document a solution to a given problem. I thoroughly enjoyed this as it allowed me to test and be creative in a test environment.

What is next for you in your career?

I have been lucky enough to have been given a full-time position and promoted into the Desktop Support department, where I will be able to further my education and take the next steps in my IT career. I am currently a member of the email migration project and I hope to continue my contribution to this and help make the vital changes needed to our IT infrastructure. I am very grateful for the opportunity and for all the things I will get to learn!

What advice would you give anyone thinking about starting an apprenticeship?

In no way am I saying an apprenticeship is right for everyone; it definitely has its flaws and a degree shows a level of dedication that many don’t get the opportunity to work at, but if you are passionate about a subject and think that you could enjoy a career in said subject, then an apprenticeship is right for you. It gives you a level of learning and understanding that, in my opinion, you just can’t get from a lecture and degree. Because of my success and Sussex taking a chance on me, I am now in such a brilliant position where I am in full-time work, learning and most of all, enjoying every single day!