Former apprentice marks big anniversary
A woman who took her first steps into the world of work as a nervous apprentice 10 years ago urged other young people to “go for it” after her employers made a presentation to mark the special anniversary.
Chloe Hollands recalled how she became really worried as a lack of confidence resulting from her natural shyness was compounded by fears of getting things wrong on her first day at work.
Ten years on, Chloe has risen through the ranks at AaGlobal Language Services, playing her part in the significant expansion of the business and along the way passing the benefit of her experience to other young recruits.
Kirk Akdemir, CEO of AaGlobal, said Chloe’s success demonstrates the value of apprentices to businesses.
Chloe said: “I was worried because this was my first job. I’d never had a Saturday job or anything like that. It was all completely new to me and I didn’t know whether I would be able to do it, how I would cope and what was going to happen.
“My message now to anybody considering an apprenticeship would be to go for it. My big concern was that I wouldn’t know how to do certain things and the company would want someone with experience but it’s not like that at all.
“It’s about going there and getting the experience then training up while you do the job. I’m still using the skills I learned 10 years ago.”
Chloe was 18 when she joined AaGlobal in summer 2015 after leaving Wyke College. She said at the time that she didn’t want to commit to three years of university study so instead decided to look for a business admin apprenticeship.
Chloe recalled: “I hadn’t heard of AaGlobal at the time but I did some research after I was told I had an interview and soon after that I started working as a business admin apprentice within the interpreting department.”
Tasks included assigning interpreters, speaking to them and to clients, and handling the bookings. The work involved regular communication by phone and email and, with the ongoing support of the management team, Chloe’s success provided a platform for her to progress to more senior roles.
She worked on service delivery, looking more at how the company can enhance its services for clients, and then on improving the overall quality of the business. In 2024 Chloe moved into compliance, dealing with such matters as accreditations and ISO. Her current role is Quality & Compliance Manager.
Over the years Chloe has witnessed first-hand the growth of a company which has nearly doubled its head count and its footprint, while the number of linguists has increased from 6,000 to more than 15,000 covering over 500 languages and dialects.
Chloe said: “When I started we had about 25 people and we were in an office next to the marina with our head office in Worcester. Now the head office is in Hull and we have more than 40 people in the heart of the city centre.
“It has been really interesting to see how the business has grown, working with more clients in a wider range of sectors. We have really increased our public sector work over the years and we are still strong in the private sector. At the same time, AaGlobal still has the same heart, supporting, building up and taking opportunities, which is what they did with me.
“The job is really satisfying and the company has given me the opportunity to explore a lot of areas across our business, identify what I enjoy doing and how I can get to know my strengths. We have a good track record for developing apprentices.”
Chloe’s experience and the support of colleagues at AaGlobal has also helped in her life away from the office.
She said: “I’m 28 now and in the process of buying my first home. From being very shy I’ve definitely come out of my shell. Coming here as an apprentice has helped me to do that and I’d recommend it to others even if they don’t know which sector they want to work in.”
Kirk Akdemir, who founded AaGlobal more than 30 years ago, marked the anniversary with a special presentation at the company’s office in King Edward Street, Hull.
He said: “We opened our first office in Hull in 2012 after expanding here from Worcester and Chloe was appointed three years later as one of our first apprentices as we strengthened our presence on our way to establishing Hull as our head office.
“As we have secured more private sector clients, in addition to our extensive public sector work, our team has continued to grow, apprentices have played an important part in that and we have been very pleased with them. The government’s commitment to invest in apprenticeships is good news for young people exploring their options, and for businesses.
“Chloe’s experience shows that the apprenticeship route is a good opportunity for young people from the local area and they can make a big contribution. The last 10 years have absolutely flown and Chloe’s memories of those first-day fears are a big help when it comes to supporting other young recruits.”