Eighteen-year-old Connor Jeffery is the latest member of the Octagon Technology team, having worked for the company since March 2015. Connor is no longer an apprentice to us but a vital member of our client support team.
Before joining Octagon Technology, Connor attended The Priory Academy LSST, where he was in the 6th form. He decided, he wanted an apprenticeship in order to gain the IT skills and earn while learning. He signed up at LAGAT who helped him find a suitable and secure apprenticeship at Octagon Technology.
Clive Catton, Technical Director at Octagon Technology said: ‘We employed Connor due to our ongoing commitment to help young people gain experience and skills. Connor has become an asset to the company and a valuable member of our team. It has been a wonderful experience to contribute to Connor’s further professional and personal development, allowing him to gain the experience and skills he needs for a full-time job.’
Connor said: ‘It has been an excellent experience for me to work with the team at Octagon Technology. I’ve learned the technical support side of the business; working along with the team who taught me a lot about how to diagnose the technical problems that our clients have with their PC’s, servers, phones, emails, etc. and how to fix them. I’m now also able to set up a new user on our secure Hosted Exchange System and responsible for a regular monitoring of data backup systems for our clients. ’
‘Over the past months I have earned the team’s trust, allowing me to take on jobs on my own; if I need their assistance I call them and they are always there ready to guide me through a solution. This has boosted my confidence and technical knowledge, contributing to both my personal and professional development.’
Clive added: ‘On the other hand, it has been great opportunity to observe how young people perceive and use technology. The teenagers of today haven’t known a life without technology. It’s been an integral part of their existence. This has given us an idea for the seminar ‘Stop texting and get your hammer out,’ whose purpose is to guide employers on how to address this challenge and instead of getting upset when the younger generation uses technology, the older generation invented, in ways they did not expect.’
If you ever considered giving an apprentice an opportunity within your business, don’t hesitate, we strongly believe it is a win-win situation.
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