Life after an Apprenticeship at CSG
Since 1985, apprenticeships have been the backbone of CSG and we continue to celebrate the positive impacts that apprenticeship schemes can bring to individuals, businesses and the wider community. As part of National Apprenticeship Week, we sat down with two of our newly qualified apprentices, Harry and Callum, to talk about their journey, their growth and how CSG helped them build strong foundations for their future careers.
Learning through real experience
From day one, both apprentices were given hands-on opportunities that helped them develop confidence and technical capability.
Harry, current CSG Service Engineer, found his time as an apprenticeship at CSG both beneficial to his work confidence and personal confidence when it comes to belonging within a professional environment.
“The workshop environment was brilliant, from fixing equipment to going onsite with fellow apprentices. Learning how to communicate with customers, gather the right information, and support them professionally helped shape me into the service engineer I am today.”
Both Harry and Callum highlighted major successes during their apprenticeships:
- Harry coordinated the delivery of 60 laptops for a not‑for‑profit client
- Callum helped deploy 50 PCs and 12 laptops for a law firm [in just one week!]
These experiences prepared them for real-world pressure, teamwork, and solving problems quickly and professionally.
Callum, also a CSG Service Engineer, joined with limited IT knowledge but quickly progressed – learning the fundamentals of IT, cyber security, Teams, communications and business regulations. He’s now a Second Line Engineer, proof of how far an apprenticeship can take you with the right support.
“The apprenticeship scheme opened the door to progressing further. I initially started in the workshop and moved on to the helpdesk and transitioned into first line engineer and progressed further from that point onwards.”
A smooth transition into full-time roles
Moving into full-time employment felt natural for both:
- “[IT was a] smooth transition… you’ve already built relationships with customers and the team,” says Harry
- “IT opened the door for progression,” Callum adds, having already moved from the workshop to the helpdesk and now into engineering roles
With greater responsibility comes greater confidence. Both apprentices shared how much more capable they feel now – not only technically but professionally.
Ongoing training is at the heart of CSG’s career pathways. Together, they’ve already achieved:
- Sophos Managed Anti‑Virus and Firewall accreditations
- Microsoft 365, Azure and Teams training
- Gamma certifications
Their advice for future Apprentices
Harry’s message is simple:
“Just go for it! If you enjoy it, you’ve got a career ahead of you.”
Callum’s advice:
“If you want to get into IT, an apprenticeship is a great way to start – we started from the bottom and now we’re here.“
To end our conversation, we asked Harry and Callum to sum up their time as an apprenticeship in one sentence…
- Harry: “CSG Apprenticeship scheme helped prepared me with physical tasks, challenges and real experiences.”
- Callum: “My time as an Apprenticeship helped me gain confidence, whilst putting experience into practical use.”
At CSG, we are incredibly proud of the apprentices who have grown with us and we remain committed to developing the next generation of skilled professionals in IT, Cyber Security and AI.
If you want to learn more about our apprenticeships then please get in touch today!
