BIFA Awards
Keen to dispel misconceptions about apprenticeships, Kelly recalled that she had not realised she was eligible to apply for one; like many other people, she thought the scheme was only for school leavers, whereas she had already been in employment for a decade. Nor, clearly, are apprenticeships limited to trades such as plumbing – another common assumption. “A lot of people think apprentices are massively underpaid but they are not; you can afford a good work/life balance and learn at the same time. Apprenticeships are de fi nitely the way forward,” she said. As part of the apprenticeship, Kelly completed a BTEC in Customs. She had done other courses on topics such as hazardous goods or fi rst aid in previous roles and said: “I am always willing to do different training. I am not sure what is next – there are so many avenues in the industry, whether in operations or something else.” New opportunities That openness to new opportunities demonstrates the con fi dence Kelly has found over the course of her career, boosted further by her achieving a distinction in her apprenticeship and gaining special recognition at the BIFA Awards. “Without all that I would not be as self-con fi dent as I am now,” she said. “I was involved in amateur dramatics for years so I was con fi dent to be on a stage – but of course, you do not see the audience because of the lights. Besides, when you are younger, you are more ignorant. “Now, I am con fi dent enough to look beyond the lights and perform anyway. I have achieved all of this, so why not something else?” Like many of her colleagues across the industry, Kelly is enthusiastic about sharing her experience, with a particular emphasis on speaking out about the bene fi ts of the apprenticeship route as an alternative to work or university. She added: “I am passionate about helping out with things like work experience; even if the person doing it decides logistics is not for them, I can at least help them decide. But once you get into logistics, it is hard to get out because anything else would seem boring!”
Kelly fi nds a starring role beyond the stage lights
Starting her working life in retail, Kelly Bell moved into food exports and then into logistics, which has retained her enthusiasm ever since. She received special recognition in the Apprentice of the Year category of the BIFA Awards 2022
K elly Bell’s customer service background has stood her in good stead, allowing her to bring essential skills to her role as MACS liner agency administrator at Good Logistics. She explained: “To be in logistics you have to have empathy: things can change very quickly in a way that is detrimental to your customer, so you have to solve problems and give information to the customer as
positively as possible. Knowing how best to give bad news is vital, and my experience in customer service gave me a head start on that.” Coping with the unexpected It is also necessary to be “on your toes, and on the ball, 24/7” to cope with the unexpected, Kelly said, adding: “Versatility is key, too. We are a small team here so we all have to know each other’s role. We all have each other’s backs. I enjoy that team spirit and variety.” Kelly completed her apprenticeship in October 2022. Not only did she enjoy the practical nature of the quali fi cation, but she also bene fi ted from gaining a deeper understanding of the processes she had already been using in her day-to-day work. “I would say I upskilled rather than learning from scratch,” she added.
Apprentice of the Year Award
Seetec Outsource Training & Skills is a leading provider of innovative training, education and recruitment. Seetec Outsource has delivered thousands of successful programmes to a range of small and large organisations nationwide and helped many people into employment. Seetec Outsource provides apprenticeships and traineeships on a range of subjects at various levels. In May 2016, Seetec Outsource Training & Skills became part of the Seetec Group. Seetec is one of the leading public and business service providers in the UK and Ireland. Established for over 30 years, Seetec has helped businesses to grow, communities to flourish and people from all walks of life to reach their full potential.
24 | June 2023
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