"I wanted to know that I am capable of doing something that is not the norm for women, and to show women that engineering is such a good career to get into."
Meet our G.Network fibre apprentices.
At G.Network, we’re pretty proud of our apprenticeship programme and especially proud of our apprentices.
Building a brand new broadband infrastructure for London is a big project, so having these talented people on board is an important part of our mission. And that’s why we thought it was about time we introduced some of them. Meet Shanai, Jason, and Erivaldo, three fibre apprentice G.Networkers who chatted to us about how they’re getting on.
Shanai tell us about your role as an apprentice…
I learn from our qualified engineers by getting stuck in and taking on as much of the work as I can. It’s all about learning on the job, and as someone who had no idea what fibre was or how internet connections work, I’ve gained so many skills in just 8 months. I’ve done 4 months of surveying work and 4 months installing and maintaining our fibre network in the backbone team. I’m now moving onto the installation team learning how to connect residential and business customers.
I was the first person in my cohort to receive the ‘Apprentice of the quarter’ award, which made me so proud of the work and dedication I’ve put into my apprenticeship. Our CEO Sasho gave me a company-wide shout out, which was an amazing surprise!
What made you apply for an apprenticeship?
Before G.Network, I was working as a care assistant, and had just finished my undergraduate degree in Multimedia Journalism. Finding a job within the media industry was challenging, especially with the hit of the pandemic, so I decided to take on something new.
I saw in a community Facebook group that G.Network was looking for more women to join as fibre specialists. I was daunted at first (thinking I’d be one of few women and knowing nothing about fibre) but I did not want to limit myself. I wanted to know that I am capable of doing something that is not the norm for women, and to show women that engineering is such a good career to get into.
How are you finding it?
For me, it’s been a fantastic experience. I’m thankful to work with great people. Everyone gets along really well, which makes it even better. Teamwork is what our job is all about, so we look out for each other and ask for advice in our group chat.
Once I’ve completed my apprenticeship, I’m hoping to join the backbone department as I really enjoy working on our street cabinets, especially splicing fibre optic cables together. I also want to work with the team at G.Network to showcase my experience and help to get more women on board with the company. Never in a million years did I think I’d be a fibre engineer! I want to prove that it’s not as scary as it seems.
"I’ve always been fascinated with telecommunications and fibre optics in general, so being able to gain new skills in this field every day is exciting – most days it doesn’t feel like work!"
Jason tell us about your role as an apprentice…
I started as an apprentice at G.Network 8 months ago. We kicked off by gaining all the necessary health and safety qualifications and training from our Fibre Academy, and now I’m on the ground with different engineering teams. I’m currently with the surveying team, which means I create plans on how we can introduce our fibre cabling into a property. I’ll look for the best route, then take pictures of the route and explain to the customer what I’m proposing, and then I’ll go back and create a survey pack using specific software.
I’ve learned heaps since joining G.Network. Not just engineering knowledge, like how our infrastructure works, or how fibre transmits data, but communication skills and customer service, too. Interacting with our customers is a really pleasant part of the job.
What made you apply for an apprenticeship?
I’d got to a point where I wasn’t happy with my career. I was previously working as a removals porter for a small company, and after that I was in IT for a few months. For me, this apprenticeship is a great blend of the two – technical but hands-on. I couldn’t bear to sit at a desk all day! And even though I’m older than the typical apprentice, it’s been a fantastic career move.
On a practical level, G.Network’s pension scheme and season ticket loan will really help me out financially in the future. And because my job is weekday only, it means I can spend quality time with my children at the weekends.
How are you finding it?
I’ve always been fascinated with telecommunications and fibre optics in general, but before G.Network, I didn’t have any experience. So being able to gain new skills in this field every day is exciting – most days it doesn’t feel like work! I’ve got around 4 months left of my apprenticeship, when I’ll be a qualified fibre engineer. Hopefully, I’ll soon be leading my own team of fibre engineers.
"I’m someone who wants to give back to my community. Everyday I’m working on brand new broadband infrastructure for my home city – it’s an inspiring mission to be part of."
Erivaldo tell us about your role as an apprentice…
I joined G.Network as an apprentice in March 2020 and I’m proud to say that I’m now a fully qualified fibre engineer leading my own team. My apprenticeship was 18 months, after being extended slightly because of the pandemic, but in that time I’ve worked with all of the engineering departments. During lockdown, we took our training online, covering health and safety and technical knowledge, as well as interactive sessions to practise customer service.
It’s been great meeting new people through G.Network. Being part of the first apprentice cohort, I found that we all came from different backgrounds, with different stories. I still work with many of them now, and we make a great team.
What made you apply for an apprenticeship?
Before the apprenticeship, I was a kids’ sports coach. I was good at it and I enjoyed it, but the time came for me to step out of my comfort zone. My older brother works in telecommunications, so I’ve always been interested in the industry and I was looking forward to learning something completely new.
I’m someone who wants to give back to my community, so the fact that G.Network is serving my borough, Westminster, is very important to me. Everyday I’m working on brand new broadband infrastructure for my home city – it’s an inspiring mission to be part of.
How are you finding it?
I really enjoyed my apprenticeship and that’s why I’ve joined the team full-time. I can see myself staying at G.Network and in the future, I want to give something back and support our apprentices through their training. I’ve been there myself, so I know what they’re going through.
What I would say to anyone thinking of a fibre apprenticeship is, go for it! But when you get there, take your time. Knowledge won’t come all at once and even when you’re comfortable, you’ll be learning something new every day. G.Network is fast-paced but so rewarding.