Building my future – the case for apprenticeships at Dixons Carphone

Apprenticeships provide retail with its next generation of leaders while giving talented individuals the opportunity to earn while they learn. Throughout National Apprenticeship Week we are celebrating our apprentices by sharing their experiences of our award-winning apprenticeship programmes. 

About apprenticeships at Dixons Carphone:   

• Since 2017 Dixons Carphone has enrolled 1,000 apprentices   
• Dixons Carphone hires between 250 – 300 apprentices a year and runs 42 different apprenticeship schemes every year   
• Dixons Carphone has an 84% apprentice retention rate   
• Dixons Carphone created the trailblazer Retail Management Apprenticeship programme where apprentices experience up to six different roles within retail on a rotational programme   
• Dixons Carphone created the first Gas Engineering Apprentice programme and is the top retail employer of repair and gas engineers in retail   
• Dixons Carphone won the Rate My Apprenticeship Award in 2019 for the Best Regional Apprentice Employer in the East Midlands and placed 29^th overall in the top 100 Apprentice Employers nationally    

Building my future – the case for apprenticeships – Daisy Driscoll, Emerging Talent Adviser     

I started my career as an apprentice after completing my A-Levels in 2012. I made the decision that university wasn’t the right route for me, so I joined a national telecoms company as a Business & Administration Apprentice doing a Level 3 apprenticeship in the Learning & Development Team. I wanted to earn a recognised qualification while developing in role and putting the theory into practice was a great opportunity for me. Working on the Learning & Development team seemed like the perfect fit because, thanks to my earlier part-time job as a ski instructor, I discovered a passion for supporting people wanting to gain new skills and develop them. To this day, working in Learning & Development fills me with excitement and is incredibly fulfilling.     

Then, just over three years ago I was approached by Dixons Carphone with the opportunity to join the Emerging Talent apprenticeship programme. I was really excited about this role. Having completed an apprenticeship programme before, I understood the importance of them to both the individuals and the company.   

Apprenticeship programmes allow people to develop their skills and build their future and being able to support colleagues through that is amazing. Being able to see them grow through their programme and develop the many skills that help them in their careers is great. My apprenticeships have helped me grow my confidence in the workplace as well as my knowledge, enabling me to be a valued member of the team. The programme helped me to look at my development continuously, even after finishing. I am still eager to learn and grow.    

I am really proud of Dixons Carphone and the range of apprenticeships we offer. Whether it’s a Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) Driver Apprenticeship or a Leadership Apprenticeship, a Level 2 or a Level 7, a programme in Retail, Supply Chain or the Support functions, a programme for new colleagues or existing colleagues, every programme has so much to offer. An apprenticeship has the ability to help people build their future.   

Since 2017, when the apprenticeship levy started, Dixons Carphone has enrolled over 1,000 apprentices. I personally support 43 apprentices and graduates, specializing in Technology, Finance, eCommerce, Supply Chain and Retail Leadership.     

Recently my manager and I had a conversation about my own personal development and what I needed to be able to offer to best support our emerging talent. We agreed that a Level 5 Coaching Professional Apprenticeship would help me build the knowledge, skills and behaviours I need to support our graduates and apprentices in the best way possible. Through a mixture of virtual online classroom sessions, 1-2-1 sessions with my Learning Development Practitioner and eLearning assignments I am going to grow my understanding of coaching as well as put the theory into practice.    

I truly believe this apprenticeship programme is going to help me build my future and is going to allow me to develop skills I’m passionate about. As a result, it will improve my ability to support our business’ emerging talent in becoming the best they can be.   

As someone that is now completing my second apprenticeship programme and sees the day-to-day value of them for a such a large number of our colleagues, I would really encourage everyone to think about how an apprenticeship programme might support their development and their career. To be working for a business that is serious about its colleagues’ development and supports the achievement of recognised qualifications through apprenticeships is inspiring.   

Examples of apprenticeships at Dixons Carphone:    

• Retail management programme   
• Digital skills programmes in software engineering, cyber security, and IT solutions   
• Commercial programmes in commercial buying and visual merchandising   
• Learning and development programme with CIPD qualifications   
• HR programmes apprenticeship level 3, 5 with CIPD qualifications   
• White goods / gas engineers   
• Repair technicians   
• Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) drivers