As part of National Careers Week we spoke with one of ID Systems’ (IDS) recently qualified apprentices Abi Ali about his journey with us so far.
Hi my name is Abi Ali and I am one of the latest apprentices to qualify within IDS as an electrician.
Q: How did you hear about your apprenticeship and what made you want to apply?
I knew after I left school I wanted to be an electrician as I was already working with an electrician on the weekend. I decided to contact many electrical companies within my area and IDS was one of the companies that got back to me and offered me an interview. And now 4 years on I am a fully qualified electrician at the age of 22. I have gained a vast majority of electrical and life skills through IDS.
Q: What is your greatest personal achievement from your apprenticeship so far?
My greatest accomplishment with IDS is the capability of teaching other apprentices and qualified electricians the skills I have acquired over the years. This has massively increased my confidence and has been great for character building.
Q: What ‘Skills for Life’ have you taken away from your apprenticeship?
Some of the other skills I have gained are being able to work under pressure and being able to delegate tasks whilst being part of a team.
Q: How has the support been from your team been throughout your apprenticeship?
The support I have received from the IDS team has been incredible as they have always helped me when required and have gone out of there way to teach me various skills that I will use for the rest of my life. They have also made me feel valued within the company.
Q: How did your apprenticeship help you develop into the role you are currently in?
This apprenticeship helped me gain knowledge to be able to read off of electrical wiring drawings and being able to modify existing sites then commission them off. This knowledge has now made me competent when replacing old telemetry outstations with new ones and being able to test the sites signals. This is the role I am in at the moment.
Q: What’s one bit of advice you would give to somebody just starting their apprenticeship?
The advice I would give to anyone starting their apprenticeship is to be persistent and grasp as much knowledge as you can in the time you have as it will always pay off.
Q: How would you describe your day-to-day life as an apprentice?
My day-to-day life is forever changing, and you never have two jobs the same. Each job has its own obstacles and I am still always learning new skills to develop. The best part about my job is that I am now training others with the same skills I have acquired over the years but still learning myself along the way.
Q: What are you most looking forward to learning as you continue your apprenticeship?
My next step within the company is to get my approved electrician certificate and enhance my career to carry out inspection and testing.