National Apprenticeship Week: How joining GMP can kickstart a new career

National Apprenticeship Week is an annual week-long celebration of apprenticeships and runs from 6-10 February 2023. Apprenticeships are an opportunity to get hands-on training and put skills into practice with the potential to progress into a career at Greater Manchester Police. Today we talk to two people at different ends of the age scale but who have both recently started their apprenticeships at GMP.

Hannah Doyle

Hannah, 16, started as a Business Administration Apprentice in Tameside in November 2022 and hopes to secure a full-time job with GMP with the long-term aim of working in counter-terrorism.

“My apprenticeship is very varied and is different every day. I communicate with so many different people and have learnt so much in such a short amount of time.

“I had planned to do a business course at college but wanted some actual work and life experience, which is when I found out that GMP did apprenticeships and I applied straight away.

“I had always thought of GMP as a possible career however had no idea that they had an apprenticeship programme.

“This apprenticeship has provided me with work experience as well as possible career progression.

“I am based in the Prevention Hub at Ashton-under-Lyne Police Station where I help prepare for the morning daily management meeting every day, which means I must have efficient time-management skills.

“This is a responsibility I wanted from the start because it has enabled me to learn so much about the organisation.

“It has helped me to meet many new people that I now communicate with every day and it has really helped me to understand the force as a whole and everyone’s individual duties.

“I also complete tasks for many other departments including the Neighbourhood Crime Team, and this has really helped me to understand the different departments and what they do.

“My future career aspirations are to progress up through the ranks in GMP – I’m not sure exactly where yet but I would like to in counter-terrorism.”

Sara Bird

Sara, 53, joined GMP in November 2022 and works in the People and Development Branch at Sedgley Park

“I moved back from Spain with my husband so we could get our daughter into the English education system as we couldn’t teach her Spanish anymore.

“I hadn’t worked full-time previously as I was full-time mum – as my daughter is old enough to look after herself, I wanted return to the workplace.

“I wanted to work for a company or an organisation that valued its employees and where I had the chance to use my previous office skill.

“Having been out of the workplace for 17 years, I thought it best to go down the apprenticeship route and saw the GMP opportunity on a recruitment website.

“I have previously worked in office-based jobs in London and Spain, and really wanted to get back into an office environment.

“At my age, a lot of companies wouldn’t have even looked at me due to ageism - I am grateful to GMP for taking me on and giving me the opportunity to work again and develop my skills.

“I hope more mature people will look at the Business Administration Apprenticeship at GMP and be given the opportunity to work for such a great, professional organisation.

“It is such great place to work and I have met lot of new colleagues - I have felt very welcomed by GMP and my ambition now is to finish my apprenticeship and secure a full-time job within GMP.

“Being at GMP also gives me a great work-life balance.