Due to turn 18 in April, Emelia was unsure of the route her working life would take when she left school a little over 18 months ago. 

However, the opportunity to join the Building Blocks Nursery Group at its Great Barr setting in Birmingham as a Level Two Early Years Practitioner apprentice under the guidance of Realise has provided a major turning point for the teenager.

“I wasn’t quite sure what to do when I left school and where life would take me.

“I was attracted by the idea of working in nursing and midwifery and then I saw the chance to join Building Blocks as an early years apprentice. 

“It was a trip into the unknown for me and I didn’t know what to expect at all but it’s the best thing I could have done. 

“I started my level 2 apprenticeship last year and in the next few weeks I will be entering my End Point Assessment to hopefully finish off my qualification. 

“Working in early years is absolutely brilliant. I love working with children and it’s so rewarding to be able to play a part in their development. 

“I’ve enjoyed it that much and found it so rewarding that I’m already looking at starting my Level 3 apprenticeship and progressing my career further.” 

Emelia freely admits the balancing act of securing a qualification at the same time as adjusting to her first full-time job has provided some challenging moments, but is grateful for the support she has received from training assessors at Realise and her Building Blocks colleagues. 

“The team at Realise have been absolutely brilliant,” said Emelia. 

“They have delivered the programme in a really engaging way. It’s been interesting all the way through and very relevant to the job I do every day at Building Blocks. 

“When there have been tough moments, I’ve been able to speak to my trainer assessors about any difficulties I’ve had and the support I’ve received from Realise – as well as my colleagues at Building Blocks – has been fantastic. 

“All in all, the apprenticeship has been a brilliant experience and a fantastic start to my working career. 

“It’s a perfect combination of working and learning and having that additional support when you need it which is important at the start of a new career. 

“I’d encourage anyone thinking about an apprenticeship to go for it.”