Rebecca's One Direction
Technology apprentice Rebecca Lane (above) has her sights firmly set on a career in IT - and turned her back very firmly on university.
The 17-year-old is still studying A level IT at Okehampton College but fits her studies in at home, around her full time job as the first ever appointed female apprentice at Bluegrass Computer Services. based at Pynes Hil in Exeter.
‘Basically I’m getting the same amount of education, but I’m being paid for it,’ said Rebecca. ‘I’m getting great practical training here which I hope will take me into a good full time job when I finish my apprenticeship. Plus I won’t come out with the debt at the end.’
Rebecca is one of just three apprentices taken on by Bluegrass this year. Already she’s providing support to clients and preparing PCs for installations. And she’s loving it.
‘For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had a feel for computers,’ Rebecca says modestly. ‘My parents aren’t particularly IT minded but for some reason, I’ve always loved it.’
Bluegrass Group chairman David Thomas said Rebecca was an outstanding candidate when the company was interviewing potential apprentices.
‘We are proud that Rebecca is our first female apprentice and we hope that there will be many many more. It’s still not a typical career for women, but Rebecca has been completely unfazed by that. And so have the rest of the team. We hope more women will be inspired to follow her. This has been a great year for Bluegrass and she is now very much part of that success story.’
The past 12 months have seen Bluegrass expand and win new business with clients such as Coventry and Exeter Airports. The company also pioneered a Cyber Security Awareness Week earlier this year that attracted more than 200 delegates to hear from 18 top national speakers at workshops, seminars and one to one clinics. The event drew praise from Digital Minister Matt Hancock, Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw and celebrity chef Michael Caines.
In addition, Bluegrass has launched a much acclaimed Business Continuity Suite, where clients can continue functioning online in the event of an emergency.
