"Removal of waste is vital to a ‘green’ future, and you can clearly see the environmental benefits of handling waste correctly."

I was mid-way through my second year of A Levels when I had decided that university wasn’t for me. I started looking at apprenticeships near me and stumbled across this role. It was the first apprenticeship I saw that really excited me; I have always wanted to help others in some way. A job in sustainability not only benefits the people close to me but everyone in the country, it was a perfect fit for me.

In my application and interview I was truthful about what inspired me and gave examples of why I would be a good fit for the role. I think my obvious excitement about the role also helped me to be successful. If you are passionate about what you do, then you are more likely to be working at your best. 

I am part of a sustainability team in estates at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust while also being a part of the National NHS Estates and Facilities team. My role involves assisting those in both teams to increase and improve sustainability across the NHS. As an apprentice I get to help across multiple roles, giving me an idea of what I am particularly interested in. For example, I work with building management engineers, waste teams and communications to promote sustainability.

For me being able to see multiple sides of sustainability has been the most exciting. There are so many ways that we can become more sustainable that I had no idea about. Another exciting part of my job is the people I am surrounded with. A lot of the people are experts so I am constantly being taught new things based off their experiences.

I remember being most proud of myself for giving my feedback/ideas in meetings. This may sound simple however being young and brand new, I found it daunting to even unmute my mic on teams! I have also recently been in contact with organisations outside of the trust for future projects. In doing these smaller things my confidence has grown massively. For me this is my proudest achievement. 

I would like to stay in a role with the key focus of sustainability and reducing carbon emissions. Recently I have found waste to be very interesting. Removal of waste is vital to a ‘green’ future, and you can clearly see the environmental benefits of handling waste correctly. A future role within a waste team would be of interest to me.

I would tell them that they should go for it. Within the NHS you will be extremely well looked after which allows you to grow and find the career for you. Another thing I would mention would be for those that are young like myself applying for similar roles. Despite me being significantly younger than some of my team, I have never felt isolated, and everyone has treated me with respect from the start.

A ‘Green Career’ is the way forward. It is both rewarding and necessary for the planet to continue to thrive.