In a Q&A with Step Up, Gillian Keegan explains how the vocational route was a “massive accelerator” in her career and why young people should consider taking it
When did you start your apprenticeship?
I was 16 and had just finished my O Levels. I got 10 O Levels, which was quite rare for my school at the time.
Why did you decide to pursue an apprenticeship and what were your other options?
Growing up in Knowsley in the Eighties wasn’t exactly the land of opportunity. There wasn’t a pipeline to help you get into a decent college or university, though there is now. For me and my friends, an apprenticeship was seen as the golden ticket, so getting one was very competitive. It was definitely the best option for me. I thought it was better to put my faith into a business and train there rather than go to a low-achieving sixth form to study A Levels.
What did your average week look like?
I was working for a subsidiary of General Motors; it was a car factory in Kirby, which is quite a deprived part of the country. It is what would now be called a three-year rotational degree-level apprenticeship, so I had different starting times depending on which part of the factory I was working in. If I was working on the factory floor, I would clock in at 7:45am whereas if you were working in the offices, the start time was 8:18am. It’s funny now because quite often I look at the clock and see 8:18am and it takes me back because it was such a specific time.
I worked in many different roles during my time at the car factory. At one time I was running a production line as a 19-year-old, which was challenging. One of the most memorable tasks was expediting. This was a Japanese invention designed to increase profitability. Stock had to arrive just before it was going into production, so you didn’t want anything to arrive early or late, which was very stressful. Another role I loved was design and technical drawing.
During my apprenticeship I did one day a week at college, and when I went on to do the degree at Liverpool John Moores University, I went in on Fridays for the full day and after work once a week. It meant I had no weekends as I spent all my time working, but I didn’t struggle to combine the two.
What skills and characteristics did the apprenticeship particularly develop?
The thing about an apprenticeship is when you walk into that workplace, it is like stepping into a sliding door and you feel more mature overnight. I learnt so much from my colleagues and senior managers. Though I don’t use some of the technical skills these days, it helped me to develop the relationship building and leadership skills that I still use to this day.
What were the highlights, and lowlights, of your time as an apprentice?
One of the highlights from my time at the factory was spending time in the working man’s club in the car park on a Friday night. I don’t think I’ll ever learn as much as I did there. The people were funny, gritty and very open. I learnt how to get on with pretty much anybody, including people with different views and backgrounds from my own.
I didn’t have any really bad times. The worst time was probably when I was leaving the car park at the same time as hundreds of other cars and I ran out of petrol. I didn’t have much money then, so I had only been spending a few quid on petrol at a time. It held up everyone up on their way out and blocked the entrance. I learnt never to risk leaving my car without petrol again, it was very embarrassing.
What did you do after your apprenticeship and how was it useful in your career?
After my degree-level apprenticeship I was given a role as a buyer, buying car parts in the factory. By the time I reached my early 20s I’d travelled abroad on business, I was managing a team, I had a big budget that I was responsible for and I was negotiating contracts and cutting deals with companies all over the world. That was brilliant.
When I went to get my next job as a senior buyer with NatWest, I could give all of these real workplace examples because I had been working since I was 16. My apprenticeship was a massive accelerator for me and I leapfrogged other people my age because I had the work experience that businesses were looking for.
What would your advice be to a young person thinking about an apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship is a fantastic thing to do. You get to learn and earn at the same time and don’t pay any student debt. Some 520,000 people have started apprenticeships in London since 2010 in a whole range of sectors. Many people don’t realise that they can be an accountant, lawyer, cyber security expert or policeman via an apprenticeship. Many companies across London like Lloyds Banking Group, Virgin Media and McLaren, as well as many trusts and universities, have already embraced degree and higher-level apprenticeships. Soon you’ll also be able to search for apprenticeships on the UCAS website.
I would say to anyone considering an apprenticeship to go for it, 100 per cent. I don’t regret a single moment of my apprenticeship. It has enabled me to build a fantastic career, living and working all over the world before coming into politics. My apprenticeship helped shape me and got me to where I am today.
