Q&A with Newcastle College's Performing Arts Centre Apprentice Administrator, Jess Potts

Q. How long have you worked at Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group?

A. I have worked at NSCG for 2 ½ years. For the first year, I worked in the Student Services Team which was a brilliant experience.

Q. Did you go to college before taking up your apprenticeship?

A. I studied at NSCG from 2016-2018 and I took A Level English, Psychology and Media Studies.

Q. What did you want to do as a career when you left school?

A. I have always wanted to work in a college as both of my parents work in education and I love everything about the learning environment.

Q. What additional training /qualifications have you gained or are you looking to gain to improve your career prospects?

A. So far, I have had the opportunity to take part in First Aid, Safeguarding, and Mental Health awareness training, all of which are an important part of my role here at NSCG and are really useful skills to have in any role. I have also achieved a Distinction in my Level 2 Customer Service Apprenticeship and I am on track to complete my Level 3 Business Administration Apprenticeship over the next few weeks.

Q. What have been the most useful skills you have gained in your apprenticeship?

A. My apprenticeship has given me the opportunity to develop essential skills and knowledge to apply in the workplace. I feel that I now have a great foundation of knowledge to build on.

My confidence has massively improved in my apprenticeship. I work in a large organisation where I feel confident to speak to all the staff, students and members of the public.

I have developed my IT skills, which I can use in any future career paths.

Completing my apprenticeship has also taught me to prioritise important tasks and to stay organised within my work.

Q. And the proudest moment of your career so far?

A. My proudest moment was completing my first show season in the Performing Arts department, which was the Snow White Panto in 2019. Show season is well known to be quite stressful, however we all worked well as a department to pull off such an amazing week of shows! This just shows how important organisation skills are in any role. I can’t wait until we can have shows on our stage again.

Q. What would your advice be to anyone wanting looking at apprenticeships?

A. 100% go for it!! My main struggle was feeling defeated if I did not get a job after an interview. I applied for lots of apprenticeships, but now I’m here with the best job ever and I love every single minute of it! Get in touch with the NSCG Apprenticeship Hub, who will give you really useful advice on apprenticeships and how to apply for one.

Find out more about an apprenticeship with Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group.