National Apprenticeship Week - Meet Bilal, Apprentice IT Technician

As part of National Apprenticeship Week, we’re celebrating some of the apprentices we have here at Harris and sharing their stories with you. 

Meet Bilal Mahmud, our fantastic Apprentice IT Technician who has been with us for a year and made a huge impact with his technical ability and unwavering dedication. As well as his expertise, Bilal also has a natural ability to connect with people, understand their needs, and goes above and beyond to deliver a first-class service to staff and students across the Federation. As a result of his hard work, Bilal won the ‘Trainee Award’ at our staff conference in October. 

In this post, he tells us more about his experience at Harris, why he chose to specialise in IT, and reflects on his apprenticeship. 

 

What does your role involve?

I provide IT support to the head office in the Federation, so I do a lot of troubleshooting, deploying laptops, changing passwords, and setting up new starters. Every day is a new challenge. 

I start each week checking which new starters we have and working out what they need, and their various requirements, including type of device needed and any peripherals such as keyboard. Then I check our Halo Service Desk which is our database for the IT tickets which are sent to us, and I’ll go through them and see what users need, whether that be some support or access to something. Otherwise, I just make sure that everyone has what they need, everything is in good working order, and everyone is happy with the support they’re being given.

 

Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship?

Before working at Harris, I was working in retail; I was a Customer Service Advisor at Argos for a couple of years. I decided I wanted a change of career and as I was always into computers and had an interest in tech, working in IT felt like the right career opportunity, and getting to do that every day was a no-brainer. 

An apprenticeship specifically felt like the right option as I was never great with exams, and there was always a lot of pressure around getting a high grade on tests. This apprenticeship was the best option as it was all coursework, so I have time to get my head down and go through the assignments. I really liked the idea of working day to day and having time to do the coursework too; I work 4 days a week, and then have 1 day to focus on my apprenticeship so it’s very flexible and helps me to stay organised. 

 

What were your expectations, and how do they compare to the experience you’ve had?

This apprenticeship really caught my eye. I was reading the job description and what the Federation could offer me, and how much they would be able to support me and give me a great experience of working in an IT team. And working in schools too seemed like a great opportunity as I would be able to go out and support students too. I came in with no knowledge and have gained so much experience since being here. Now, I’m a lot more experienced, and I feel a lot more comfortable in my role and what I am able to offer and can provide the best support to our users.

It’s been a great experience and I have no complaints, every day has been a fun, new challenge, and I’ve been able to work with such a wide mix of people. Every day has been a step in the right direction, and I’ve been able to learn something new. Everyone’s been really supportive and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it and hope to continue to do so. 

 

How would you describe your team?

Having great managers around me has given me the confidence to work hard and to be able to work on my own terms. My team is great, everyone is so helpful and supportive, and it’s grown a lot since I’ve been here. I’ve been able to work across 1^st line, 2^nd line, and 3^rd line IT. I get to work with Cyber Security, and so many people who have so much knowledge and expertise, which has been great for me to be able to learn so many different things, and I’ve been able to use that knowledge.

They’re all really supportive, funny – everyday is a laugh with them, but they all work really hard too, but they’re able to do that whilst having fun so it’s a lovely environment to work in.  

 

Do you have a favourite memory of working here?

Definitely receiving the award (‘Trainee Award’ at the staff conference), I think there were 5,000 people at the ExCeL in London, and I received an award for my hard work at the Federation and providing the best support to all the users and it was nice to be recognised for this. Every day I come in and do my best, and it can be a very physically demanding job at times, but I enjoy it, and receiving that award was a great memory, and I hope to continue providing that level of support with that on my shoulders.

 

Do you have plans for when you finish your apprenticeship?

I have about 3-6 months left, and I need to complete my end-point assessment too. I hope to be provided with the opportunity to stay at the Federation as working here has been such a great experience, and I’d like to continue working as a Technician and with my colleagues. 

 

What would you say to someone considering a Harris apprenticeship?

Definitely go for it! It’s a brilliant opportunity that you won’t want to miss. It was definitely life-changing for me because coming in, I didn’t really know what to expect, and now a year in, I am so grateful to have had that opportunity. I’ve built myself up and worked in an environment that has started my career but given me such valuable life skills as well. There are so many friendly staff here who have given me so much support to build my character and enjoy what I do. Working here has been such a blessing and I really do enjoy all of it so if you enjoy IT, I’d definitely recommend an apprenticeship at Harris.