Emily Eyre

Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship?

After completing my A Levels, I attended a music and dance conservatoire for a year on an undergraduate programme in London. I quickly established this career path was not right for me and I left the conservatoire with little direction on my future. I decided to explore a new route and began a Level 3 Business Apprenticeship with DAF Trucks, where I was Apprentice of the Year, qualified with a distinction and employed permanently post-apprenticeship.

How did you find out about your apprenticeship?

On the government website.

What does your job involve?

As a Regional Sales Manager, my job involves the management of several DAF Trucks Dealerships in the Southeast Region. DAF Trucks has five Regional Sales Managers that manage the dealer network across the UK and Ireland, with a total of 133 dealers so that certainly makes the job dynamic, challenging and busy.

What’s the coolest thing about your job?

One of the best elements of my job is meeting people from different businesses that all have their own story to tell about the DAF brand. Learning about the beginnings of a dealer that now has 13 sites or a Director that began doing a technical apprenticeship are stories that make the brand loved, relatable and timeless. Whilst the history of DAF is instrumental, being part of a rapidly changing industry change is insightful as we emerge into new technologies that will challenge what the industry looks like in 10 years.

What have you gained from your apprenticeship?

1. Collaborative ability from group projects.
2. Strong understanding of self: my interests, dislikes, passions and how these shape my career ideas.
3. Time management and stress management through balancing studying and working.

What do you plan to do next?

Educationally I plan to complete a master’s qualification and in the workplace, I intend on developing my skills as a Regional Sales Manager.

How will your apprenticeship help you achieve this?

By applying the key skills I have learnt from the CMDA into the Masters qualification and succeeding in the workplace, such as; criticality, self-understanding and academic writing.

What advice would you give a young person who might be thinking about an apprenticeship?

Take the opportunity to talk to people on a one-to-one basis that have completed an apprenticeship and those that have adopted an alternative route such as university. Appreciate that this next step is your decision and there may be second-guessing, mistakes or worries but that is a positive learning curve. Talk to someone you have a strong relationship with about your potential future pathways as there is significantly vast information from apprenticeships, universities, jobs, schools and family that can make it difficult to distinguish what is right for you.

What’s your top tip?

Ask ALL the questions: Why, How, Who, When. Don’t limit curiosity, no matter how far along you are in your career.

How do you feel about becoming an Apprenticeship Ambassador?

Motivated to help inspire the next generation of apprentices through my own learning experiences.