Born and raised in Croydon I have always cherished the sense of community that Croydon thrives on and it helped me understand the importance of education. This is why the Croydon Council apprenticeship was an opportunity I couldn’t miss.

As an apprentice in the dynamic Pupil Place Planning team my role is incredibly varied – I could be writing minutes, attending thought-provoking project meetings or going on school visits. I have also spent time in Access Croydon and it was overwhelming yet encouraging to see how vigorously the team handle customer enquiries in such a fast-paced environment.

I have a great mentor in my manager who is an inspirational leader and an empathetic individual. In order to support my self-development she has encouraged me to shadow colleagues so that I can see a bigger picture of what the council does to improve the lives of the borough’s residents.

Observing classes passionately taught by the Virtual school and shadowing the 14-19 team gave me a greater understanding of how well the council safeguards children and is trying to create a bright future for young people.

In November I had the opportunity to assist with Croydon’s first Youth Takeover Challenge, where more than 60 young students had the chance to shadow people in senior roles and voice their opinions. As a young person myself it was great to see how positive the council was in welcoming and listening to young people.

Being a millennial I get caught up in the fast pace of life and sometimes take it for granted but seeing how the council works from the inside really gives me a sense of perspective and an understanding of how important education and community are. Seeing how officers focus on delivering for Croydon constantly motivates me and makes me proud to count myself as one of them.

I look forward to growing with Croydon and the council as I rise to every challenge.