Case Study: Lauren Dazley, 20

Stuck at a crossroads in her part-time job, Lauren began an apprenticeship through Milton Keynes College because she wanted to take a different direction in her career.

Read how she has opened the door to new opportunities with a business admin apprenticeship and learned about the importance of working for a company with a strong local focus.

Lauren’s Story

“I spent two years in sixth form and left with four A levels, then began working part-time for the following year. After that, I felt like I needed to move on, so I started looking into my options. The apprenticeship with Suez has opened my mind to other opportunities.

Suez is a global waste collection and treatment company that cleans up the streets in Milton Keynes, maintains green spaces and play areas and collects and recycles rubbish. They are very keen to strengthen local links and have a focus on sustainability, both of which really appealed to me.

My role as a business admin apprentice is varied. I get to work on the social values side of the business, too, which is a great opportunity. I also get to work directly with MK College as part of my role. One of our social value commitments is to meet a certain number of local employment opportunities, one of which is an apprenticeship with the local college.

Since I’ve come on board, we have organised a college industry day where six members of the teaching staff visited to learn more about Suez. I’ve also just had a call with the college sustainability lead. There are many opportunities for us to partner with together in the future, too, such as litter picking. I hope to build on that relationship while I’m here.”

Lauren adds, “The teachers at MK College have been so helpful and supportive. As soon as I encounter a problem, I email my questions and I get a response really quickly. I’m two months into my 18-month apprenticeship and hope to stay here when I’ve completed it.

“To anyone considering an apprenticeship, I’d definitely recommend it as a route into a career. The great thing about being an apprentice is you can start a career path while learning at the same time and it allows you to see different opportunities within the company too.”

Lauren’s advice to anyone considering apprenticeships:

“My advice would be to stay open-minded. I didn’t know what career I wanted to go into, and I’ve found a company I’d like to stay at, so it’s worth exploring all the options.”

Interested in studying an Apprenticeship like Lauren? Explore our available apprenticeships here to learn more about your options and how you can get involved.