Lynford

“I came to YG as an apprentice back in 2013 – which seems like a lifetime ago. At the time I didn’t get the greatest A-level results and I knew deep down university wasn’t for me. It felt like such a daunting undertaking to dedicate three or more years of my life to university when I didn’t know what I wanted to study. Instead of going on a gap year or dashing off to uni, I decided to look into getting an apprenticeship. After two interviews I landed a job at Young Gloucestershire as a Media and Marketing Apprentice.

“Since then my life has changed so much and I’ve had the pleasure of working at so many exciting businesses. I have recently started a new role with a company called Multiverse – a forward-thinking organisation placing professional apprentices and it got me thinking back to my time as an apprentice at YG. I will be joining Multiverse as a Customer Success manager and it feels like things have come full circle.

“I genuinely believe I would not have thrived in the workplace without my time at Young Gloucestershire (even if I wasn’t the greatest apprentice at the time!) I’ve got so many fond memories of my time with YG. A few that stick out are; helping with the launch of The Link, a drop-in service for unemployed young people, becoming a Microsoft IT Champion which gave me the skills and confidence to teach IT skills to others, and just being a part of the Young Gloucestershire team in general.

“Although the environment was a bit hectic at times, just being able to witness the hard work, dedication and the tenacity of the YG team was inspirational and helped shape the work ethic I strive to maintain every day.

“In the last nine years I’ve worked primarily in the utilities industry but I always tried to work for innovative businesses, but more importantly, ones that tried to make a difference in the world and be a force for social change. I honestly believe this is due to the time I spent with Young Gloucestershire and seeing first-hand the amazing work they did and I wanted to bring that into the rest of my life.

“I spent five years at Bristol Energy, a council-backed electric and gas company whose ultimate goal was to give their profits back to Bristol City Council. During my five years there I worked my way up the business eventually becoming the Product Owner of the billing system used to bill 100,000s customers. Unfortunately, the company didn’t meet its original goal and was sold last year.

“Since then I have spent time looking for my next opportunity and the right role and company for me. I applied for a role at Multiverse because of the impact my apprenticeship and time with YG had on me. The opportunity to be a part of a company that’s making a difference in the world is one that I couldn’t pass up and after a competitive interview process, I was accepted for the role.

“Multiverse aims to build an outstanding alternative to university and corporate training via professional apprenticeships. They aim to create a diverse group of future leaders by providing high-quality apprenticeship programmes that combine work, training, and community. Since 2016 they’ve trained over 5,000 apprentices across 200 of the world’s employers. Focusing on the skills of the future, their programmes range from business operations to data science and software engineering. I was first exposed to apprenticeships and programs that enable social mobility at Young Gloucestershire. I’ve seen the difference they’ve made not only in my life but also in the lives of countless others. I’m thrilled to once again play a role in a business that is changing lives and promoting positive change

“When I look back I realise how far I’ve come and I firmly believe it wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for my time at Young Gloucestershire. It taught me that a job can be more than just a nine to five, it can also be fulfilling and positively impact those around you.”

“It has been great to hear from Lynford, we still have many staff that were here in 2013 and remember Lynford well, as a young man searching for his direction in life. It is such a pleasure to hear how his experience with YG has not only helped shape his career but also his outlook in the world and his attitude to life. What more can we ask for.

“YG is happy to be launching three new Apprenticeship roles in the organisation that will be advertised over the coming months. These roles have been funded by the Brenda Hoskins Foundation which supports the recruitment and training of tenacious and determined young apprentices, who like Brenda herself may not have had the easiest journey in life. To read Brenda’s story click here. We hope that their positions at Young Gloucestershire will give them an opportunity to succeed, like Lynford’s Apprenticeship gave him.

“Congratulations to Lynford for all he has achieved and will go on to achieve.”

Tracy Clark CEO