A lesson from Gordonstoun

Gordonstoun is a prestigious Scottish private school located in Elgin, in Moray. It was founded by Kurt Hahn, on principles outlined in his "Seven Laws of Salem".

It is home to notable alumni, such as Duncan Jones, the King and the late Duke of Edinburgh. His experience there inspired him to create the eponymous Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

However, one person not on the list of notable alumni is me. This is not because I am notable, but because I am not an alumnus. I have never been. My own education was from a state school in Ipswich, of which I am immensely proud.

This begs the question: how am I able to impart a lesson from somewhere other than my alma mater?

Answering this question is possible by going back to the very first week of my apprenticeship: in September 2016, I attended my induction at Yarnfield Park. This is a conferencing centre in Staffordshire where BT ran the inductions of every apprentice in an intake year, regardless of the regions from which they worked. It was a residential programme, and we stayed from the 19th to the 23rd September 2016.

At the time, I was still wondering whether I had made the right choice to become an apprentice. I had met some people during a social event organised before the official start date, and was working out how I fitted in in relation to them. My peers had gone onto full-time university, and I was still nervous about telling my friends that I was doing an apprenticeship.?

From this induction week, there were some indicators that I had made the right choice in becoming an apprentice.

The first of these came from meeting a former pupil of Gordonstoun at the Yarnfield bar, after a long day of orientation. They had mentioned that they had studied at the school before becoming an apprentice at BT.

The circumstances were that they had been given a scholarship by a benefactor, given the large tuition costs that would have otherwise been borne. It was extremely apparent that the apprentice greatly appreciated the fee waiver. They felt obliged to make the most of the experience at Gordonstoun, knowing that someone had paid for them to be there. Even after eight years, I can remember the sentiment (if not the exact wording):

I won't let you down

The reason that this meeting was formative in my apprenticeship induction, even in my early days, is because I made a connection. Not just in someone inspiring whom I'd met early in my career, but also a connection between scholarship and apprenticeship.

As an apprentice, I am privileged enough to go to university. Whilst the idea of whether fees should be waived for all students is a subject of debate, the material reality is that the fees prevent access to university for many people. Having these fees waived represents the ability to access university without worrying about meeting basic financial needs - in Maslowian terms, I was able to progress towards self-actualisation. Concretely, this meant that I could focus on studying a subject that interest me. With an apprenticeship, I could also apply my studies to make positive contributions.

It occurred to me immediately, though I have taken nearly eight years to articulate, that a scholar is essentially the same. Because of their brightness and their interest in a subject, they have been selected to have their fees waived, partially or fully. This allows them to concentrate their efforts on the subject which enthuses them, rather than worrying about financial affairs.

In the case of an apprenticeship, the benefactor is known. This may remain anonymous for a scholarship but, in any case, there is a sense of obligation. The sentiment pervading both must be "I won't let you down", due to the importance and impact of both scholarship and apprenticeship.

For an apprentice, this may manifest as:

• Advocating for apprenticeships
• Being diligent and professional at work
• Completing assessments as well as possible, for the benefit of learning
• Making the most of the academic component of university
• Making the most of the social component of university
• Being an excellent ambassador for apprenticeships to other students at the university

From the perspective of promoting apprenticeships, it can be argued that the best apprentice candidates are those who have this sentiment. Because of the unique combination of education and employment, apprenticeships are not simply a means of getting a job. As scholarships are for bright and enthused candidates, we should strive for the same for apprenticeships.

I would like to thank Jamie for inspiring me with this idea, as it was a key motivator for the completion of my apprenticeship. That is, even as it took much longer than the other inductees at Yarnfield Park.

Andrew Bolt is a recently-completed Degree Apprentice, working for the Science and Technology Facilities Council and having studied for a BSc (Hons) Digital and Technology Solutions degree at Anglia Ruskin University. This article forms part of the #ThinkBIG series of articles about apprenticeships.