DURING next week's National Apprenticeship Week 2020 (3 - 9 February), an Amazon apprentice from Tilbury is encouraging potential apprentices who want to take the next step in their career to sign up for an engineering, IT, safety or operations apprenticeship.

Lucy Mitchell is hoping that she can inspire the next wave of apprentices to apply for their dream positions at Amazon centres across the UK and offers some words of wisdom for anyone thinking about applying for an apprenticeship.

She said: "Apprenticeship programmes like the one I'm on at Amazon are fantastic for anyone who wants to continue learning or training but doesn't want to go to university or college. The Amazon Apprenticeship programme is perfect for anyone aged 18+ who either has GCSEs or A-levels or good life experience. You'll have the opportunity to get paid while you learn and the hands-on experience is second to none."

Once the Amazon apprentices are fully qualified, they will have the opportunity to work in Amazon buildings across the UK including fulfilment centres, delivery stations, sortation centres and our corporate offices.

Here are her top tips for wannabe apprentices to find the perfect role.

1) Do your homework. It sounds obvious but research the type of apprenticeship you want. Do you want something engineering based? Or is IT more your thing? By understanding what sort of role you really want, you'll be able to identify the perfect apprenticeship to help you achieve your ambitions.

2) Pick a company that matches your ambitions. I wanted to work with the best people, the best technology and the best equipment, so I chose Amazon. Choosing a leading company in your industry will give you unrivalled exposure and opportunities.

3) Throw yourself into it. When it's time to leave the classroom and start the practical side of the apprenticeship, make friends, ask questions and really become part of the team. The people here are accommodating with their time and they're also super-helpful. But best of all, they're great fun. The fun nature of the team helped me settle quickly and was a key factor in helping me learn the ropes.

4) Watch and learn. You really can learn a lot by paying attention to everyone around you. I feel that the way some of my mentors conduct themselves teaches me so much and sets a standard for how I want to work myself. I find their way of doing things a real inspiration and that helps me learn the basics of the role quickly. You're learning from the best in the business while getting paid – what's better than that?

5) Organise your time. The combination of learning in a classroom and working in a real-life setting is brilliant, but it does require some forward planning. Remember that everything you do on an apprenticeship is important and you must learn quickly how to balance your time so you're putting the time into the theory as well as the practice. There are lots of time management tools available online that can help you to prioritise your classroom and work schedule.

"Amazon wants to inspire tomorrow's STEM superstars and our Apprenticeship Programme is one of the ways we're doing that" added Carlos Guijarro Benito, Site Leader at Amazon in Tilbury. "We're proud of everything that Lucy has achieved since joining our programme and we're looking forward to welcoming many more apprentices to our fulfilment centre over the coming months."

Amazon's Apprenticeship schemes are designed to suit candidates with a range of experience, from those with life skills to school leavers who are 18+ with GCSEs or A-levels.

Anyone interested in finding out more information about some of the Amazon apprenticeship programme can do so by clicking the red button below. Roles will be advertised on the website in early March 2020.