An apprentice from Salford is calling on local people and his fellow colleagues to pursue the career they have always wanted by applying for an apprenticeship.
Toba Elerewe is an operations team leader apprentice working at Amazon in Manchester. He started his apprenticeship with Amazon in 2017 and is working towards a qualification to become a team leader after two years of training study with Amazon and the Institute of Leadership and Management.
When he was young, Toba had dreams of becoming a pilot or a doctor. However, as he got older he realised that he had a natural talent for leadership and decided to focus on that path. "I’ve always been interested in people and would consider myself to have good people skills. I want to encourage people to be positive and this, combined with a strong attention to detail, led me to Amazon,” said Toba.
the opportunity to work with really intelligent people from different departments is a big plus for me
“I applied for this apprenticeship because Amazon is a great company with big opportunities, and I enjoy my role here immensely. I knew that by taking part in the Amazon Apprenticeship Programme, I’d have the opportunity to meet lots of new people and experience lots of new things. I also felt that I could make an impact here, and that’s why I applied.”
When asked about what he enjoys the most about his apprenticeship, Toba said, “the opportunity to work with really intelligent people from different departments is a big plus for me. I’m also enjoying the personal and professional development that I’m experiencing. I get to study a wide range of subjects in the classroom and that’s brilliant for my future career.”
Toba explained what he’s found to be the most important thing he’s learned during his apprenticeship. “To respect everyone. Amazon has a really inclusive environment and we all get along together, regardless of where people are from, their backgrounds or interests. I think it’s so important to be respectful of people and to work together. I’ve also learned a big lesson professionally and that’s how to solve problems. If something doesn’t work first time, you can always try again. That’s been a great learning for me.”
Toba is one of over 300 apprentices currently working at Amazon in the UK. Amazon has announced it will create a further 1,000 new apprenticeships for new and existing employees in fulfilment centres and development centres across the country. The new apprentices will add to over 27,500 permanent employees currently in the UK, with pay ranging from an entry level starting salary of £9.50/£10.50 an hour, up to £30,000 a year.
Nine different programmes are on offer across the country to people of all levels, ranging from IT, safety and HR through to software engineering, robotics, leadership and technology.
Two-in-every-ten new apprenticeships will be offered exclusively to Amazon’s existing workforce, providing a route from working on the shop floor through to working on cutting-edge software development, robotics technology and senior leadership roles in the business.
I felt that I could make an impact here
In addition to being fully-funded, apprentices also receive industry-leading benefits including competitive pay, employee discounts, private medical insurance and company pension plan.
For anyone thinking about applying for a place on the Amazon Apprenticeship Programme, Toba has some advice: “I think that an apprenticeship is one of the best things you can do for your personal and professional development. If you want to have a career and develop personally, the Amazon Apprenticeship Programme is the perfect way to achieve that.”
To find out more about the Amazon Apprenticeship Programme visit www.amazon.jobs/apprentices
