Originally I studied BTEC PE and then pursued further study in Sports Coaching. I wanted to pursue coaching but it is very difficult to get in to. I thought a lot of the elements of my coaching skills would help me in this role.

I had eight weeks of training at Openreach where you learn about the fibres, how they work, what they do and then we have poles, steps and ladders training. Openreach have their own regional training centres so you don’t have to go into college to do it. The trainers are amazing, they make you feel so comfortable and relaxed, and the approach is very interactive. They also have Open Street which is a replica of a street so you can train in a safe environment, and you can learn how to deal with houses and flats etc. It’s like a film set!

When you have finished training, you normally get partnered with someone who is further down the line in their apprenticeship or fully qualified. The buddying period lasts around two weeks. Your buddy will really help you and guide you through the job.

I usually work Monday to Friday from 8.30 am to 4.00 pm, with occasional overtime. Depending on how big a job is, we meet up in the morning and discuss where we are going.
Every so often we get sent job packs from our managers, which will tell us which areas we are working in and all our different work points. Not all our jobs are based in the boxes, sometimes they are based on the telegraph poles - so we have to climb up those.