I really enjoyed my time at College as the staff were so supportive and friendly. There was so much on offer too – I played rugby every Wednesday in my Lower Sixth and really enjoyed training together.

During my time at Reigate, I was supported to achieve grades I never thought I was capable of achieving and after my two years I came out with three A*s and the confidence to no longer allow my dyslexia make me doubt myself.

Being able to take part in Aspire and do an EPQ was hugely beneficial to me even though I knew I wanted to go down the degree apprenticeship route. Everyone at College was so supportive when it came to thinking about apprenticeships, helping me with my CV and coming up with ideas to make me stand out from other applicants. For example, my Aspire teacher suggested some online courses and building a website to showcase the knowledge and interests I’d gained. All this really did influence my future, as when I shared my CV, EPQ, website and all the online courses I’d done in my interview with Cogent skills and Pfizer, they were extremely impressed and I was offered the apprenticeship!

I found the transition from College to full-time work and studying for a degree quite difficult initially, but my mentor at work helped me to learn how to manage my time. This ensured I had enough capacity to complete my university assignments around my day-to-day work.

My week involves four days at Pfizer and one day a week at university. I’m really enjoying the experience and it’s just great to have the chance to gain a degree and three year’s work experience at the same time. I love my current role, have so much support with my work and really do feel like my colleagues are invested in my personal development and growth. I’m given so many different opportunities to develop my skills, both independently and as part of a wider team, while my university education provides me with the industry knowledge I need to grow in this career path.

I’d encourage College students to fully explore all the different options available to you afterwards – whether that be a job, uni or an apprenticeship. I’d also suggest taking full advantage of the support available to you when it comes to applying for apprenticeships. In addition, do make use of the Careers team – as well as CV and application support, they can help you think about how you can stand out from other applicants, suggest suitable online courses or work experiences to seek out as well as consider other creative ideas (like me creating my website).

Lucia Schifano

Reigate College: 2020-2022

Higher education: BSc Digital Marketing London, South Bank University while working as a Digital Marketing Apprentice with Cogent Skills and hosted by Pfizer UK