Rhys Davies, a Teaching Assistant at Mile Cross Primary School in Norwich, won the Impact Award at the Apprenticeships Norfolk Awards last night. Rhys, who began his journey as an apprentice at just 17 with only two weeks of work experience under his belt, shares his story
How did you hear about the apprenticeship?
I started off going through sixth form and I dropped out of that after six months because it just wasn’t my thing – I didn’t gel with it. I kind of wanted a childcare-based occupation and was looking at nurseries, and apprenticeships as well. Mile Cross knew that when I was volunteering for them and then, after two weeks, they said, ‘would you like an apprenticeship here’?
What led you to volunteering in the first place?
I was basically doing nothing so I thought I’d volunteer rather than waste my time. They run a thing called forest schools and take a year group down to it – they own the land, it’s quite local. We’re there for two and a half hours in the afternoon and then I’d come back to school and after the second day the reception class teacher asked if I would like to stay behind and help in the classroom as well. I said, ‘yeah, why not?’ After that I started coming in, in the mornings as well. Forest school was only one day a week, and so I was doing the whole day volunteering in reception. After the two weeks, it was the head teacher and the office lady who I knew from when I went there, who came up to me and asked about the apprenticeship. I grew up in Mile Cross and went to the primary school.
And we hear that your dad is also a TA at the school? How did that come about?
At my time at Mile Cross, probably in year five or six, forest school started up. They were advertising for volunteers, so I said to dad, ‘why don’t you come along?’ He volunteered for probably about three years, so was volunteering when my sister was there as well. He then got offered a job as a TA in reception. When I did the volunteering, I was working with him.
Where does your interest in childcare come from?
I’m not too sure to be honest. I think it’s always been about helping people, so it was that or going into the police, but to get into the police it would have meant doing an apprenticeship or A levels and I had dropped out of sixth form, and I didn’t really want to do college. Now I’m here, I kind of want to stick to it – it’s too good to leave.
What makes you good at the job that you do?
I think it’s the relationship bonds with not only colleagues, but with the children as well. I mean, every child is completely different, no matter if they’re the same age or the same gender, so it’s tailoring who you are to them, kind of, and allowing them to trust and build a relationship with you. I can achieve a smile on all the children’s faces. So as long as I’ve done that, then I’ve had a good day.
Mile Cross has its own issues, with gangs, county lines and so forth. Does that give you extra motivation?
100 percent. If there’s someone who they can rely on, then they’re less vulnerable, and I can, without making it known to them, pick up on anything that may be a red flag, which luckily I haven’t had to do. I haven’t lived a life like that, but I have grown up around it and I’ve known people that have fallen into county lines and stuff, so, with the possibility of stopping something like that, it’s definitely motivating.
You’re only 19 now and you were 17 when you started in this role. Are you surprised by the maturity that you have?
Yeah. I mean, when I compare myself to my friends, who are still in sixth form, I can see a big difference, but it’s weird because it has felt natural. It hasn’t felt forced. It’s how I’ve been moulded, I suppose.
How do you feel about winning an award?
I was speechless. It’s the first award that I’ve won – it means a lot. I never thought that I would ever end up here, let alone win. It’s just amazing.
And what would you say to people of your age and younger about apprenticeships?
I would say that apprenticeships are probably one of the handiest things because they’re the mix of education and work in one. So, I mean, if you go for the right apprenticeship, you can get that qualification as you can also get the income.
New apprenticeship starts with Norfolk businesses and organisations soared by 11% in the first three months of the academic year 2024/25 – against a national increase of less than 1.5%. Visit Apprenticeships Norfolk.
Featured image of Rhys Davies, winner of the Impact Award, with Hannah Owen, Stakeholder & Partnerships Executive, City & Guilds, sponsor of the Impact Award (picture credit: David Miko).
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