Apprentice Success at DB Foods

After supporting crucial HR functions as part of her apprenticeship over an extraordinary year, DB Foods is delighted that Charlotte Jackson has accepted its offer to stay with the company in the permanent role of HR Administrator.

Soon after completing her GCSEs at Poole High School and going on to study AS Levels, Charlotte began to realise that she wanted to break away from the academic path she was on.

‘I really enjoyed school and loved learning, but also knew university wasn’t for me’, she recalls. ‘I wanted a change and felt ready for work.  I had seen my older sister undertake an apprenticeship after school and my parents have built successful careers in retail, so I got a lot of support when I began my research with the National Careers Service and online portals such as recruitment site, Indeed’.

After her first apprenticeship in Level 2 Business Administration, which she completed at Dorset Healthcare from 2017, Charlotte applied to DB Foods to embark on a Level 3 apprenticeship in Human Resources.

‘I was very selective in what I applied for because I was looking for long term career potential. My parents suggested developing more of a specialism and the opportunity at DB Foods felt like a natural progression as it required the general clerical and business skills I had learned, whilst allowing me to meet and learn from lots of different people’.

After starting work at DB Foods in May 2019, Charlotte immediately began working in recruitment, screening CVs, carrying out interviews by phone or in person, and sitting in on formal consultations to observe and take notes.  Within a few months, she was assisting and starting to advise in employee relations and internal communications whilst continuing to study one day a week at Bournemouth and Poole College.

Then, in March 2020, everything changed.

‘Lockdown came as quite a shock’, Charlotte explains. ‘However, I had wonderful support from the HR and Payroll Managers, as well as Chief Executive, Gary Smith.  Within a week we were realising all that could be done from home, by email, phone and video calls’.

Charlotte started on assisting the Head of Group Health and Safety with home working and health assessments, administering paperwork for the Government’s furlough scheme and helping prepare for the UK’s exit from the European Union.  She even carried out recruitment processes as the business pivoted towards needs brought about by Coronavirus restrictions.

Having completed her apprenticeship in December 2020, Charlotte is now thrilled to be a full-time HR Administrator supporting the team.

‘I do have a lot of responsibility, especially in the current climate, and a completely different life from my friends who stayed at school and went on to university’, Charlotte says.  ‘It has been three years now, and I am really happy with my choice to pursue practical knowledge and experience early on. I love the work environment and have learned so much’.

Next Charlotte, 20, plans to take on a Level 5 HR Apprenticeship with DB Foods, a course run in association with the Chartered Institute of Personal Development at Bournemouth and Poole College.

‘Charlotte has proved herself to be a great asset to her team and the business’, says Gary Smith, Chief Executive.  ‘We are so pleased she has chosen to stay with us and look forward to supporting her in her future endeavours.  As a business we fully support the apprenticeship scheme, if you feel you have the drive and passion to succeed in a fast paced environment we would encourage you to apply via the website general enquiry form’.