'˜Every day makes you better' says former apprentice
AS A child, Nicole Covey spent hours taking equipment apart just to put it all back together again '“ fascinated by the inner workings of devices.
With such an interest, it’s no wonder the award-winning former apprentice is leading the way for women in STEM skill careers.
The Portsmouth-born 24-year-old has an impressive trophy cabinet, having won Higher Apprentice of the Year at the South East National Apprenticeship Awards 2016, Outstanding Client Achievement Award at IBM and We Are The City’s Rising Star Of The Year in Technology 2017.
A strong advocate for the scheme, Nicole has now secured a job as a zSeries Software Support Specialist at IBM, North Harbour and is one of the first technicians on the British Computer Society Registered IT Technicians Register.
Nicole said: ‘I took the plunge with tech, it’s turned out better than I could have expected.
‘It may not be the first thing that comes to mind when considering what to do after school, but an apprenticeship at IBM really gave me a huge amount. Whatever your interests, I’d recommend giving it serious consideration.
‘When I started I was the youngest and didn’t know much, but I’ve had so many opportunities to build my experience and learn from others.
‘I’ve got a lot of responsibility on my shoulders, but I really love my job – every day makes you better.’