Apprenticeships bring career change opportunities for Pavan and Cate  

North East based apprentices, Pavan and Cate, who both felt unsuited to their initial chosen careers were able to embark on a different path in the diversity and inclusion sector after obtaining apprenticeships with eQuality Solutions Group (eQS).

Pavan Bhardwaj, 23, left a degree course in electrical engineering at Durham University to start an apprenticeship in business administration and Cate Weatherson, 21, has u-turned on her job as a carer to take-up a customer service apprenticeship.

Team leader at eQS, Jack Fisher, 22, appointed Cate and Pavan and he, himself, started at eQS as an apprentice, aged 16. He says apprentices are vital to a rapidly growing business:

“Apprentices bring a freshness and energy to the team. They have a lot of enthusiasm and curiosity to learn, progress, and impress. The skills we teach them are transferrable, of course, but they are also tailored to our company’s specific needs and values which is something you can’t usually get from an experienced employee who has learned their craft at a different business.”

Headquartered in South Tyneside, eQS is a leading, global provider of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) services and products including consultancy, needs assessments, assistive technology (AT), training, e-learning, mentoring, coaching and inclusive recruitment – across workplaces and educational settings.

Pavan started looking into apprenticeships after realising his electrical engineering degree was too narrow a field for him and he was attracted to the concept of earning whilst learning. Pavan was involved in advocating and campaigning for disabled and LGBTQ students at university so the vacancy for an apprentice at DEI firm, eQS, piqued his interest.

Pavan said: “Given my passion for improving student welfare, this role is perfect for me. Part of my job is helping students apply for Disabled Student Allowance and supporting them on that journey, which can be tricky to navigate. I’m glad I made the move because business administration skills and qualifications open many doors, in many sectors and I’m enjoying taking on more and more responsibility.”

Cate worked as a carer in a care home for two years after completing a Level 3 Health and Social Care NVQ and although she liked the fundamentals of the carer role, she found achieving a work-life balance that worked for her, difficult due to shift patterns.

Cate, who lives in Hebburn, said: “I have always liked the idea of apprenticeships and a friend who is an apprentice recommended this route to me. Changing from a very active, hands-on role to an office position was scary because it’s so different and I didn’t know what to expect but to be honest it’s actually better than I imagined. I like the structure it brings to my life, I’m enjoying learning how the business works and how I can add value to it.”