20-year-old Morven Garden has thrived in her Business Administration Modern Apprenticeship with Motive Offshore Group, and now works as a Sales Administrator for the company.

From a young age, Morven has shown strong administration skills. At five years old, she was already helping her dad on the computer, and not long after she learned to touch-type like her mum. At Banff Academy, Morven’s teacher also noticed her talent and predicted that she’d work in admin in the future.

Despite her skills, business administration wasn’t the route Morven chose after school. She secured her Highers in fifth year and decided to follow her interest in history and study social sciences at NESCol. Morven completed the first term but decided that full-time education wasn’t the right path for her.

She said: “I decided to stop forcing myself to do something I clearly wasn’t passionate about and chose to leave the course.”

A few months later, an exciting opportunity came up. Morven’s friend told her that Motive were looking for a Business Administration Modern Apprentice, which suited her skills and interests.

She said: “Having a dad and brother who both work offshore, I was keen to learn about the equipment and services Motive offered and develop my skills in the renewables and oil and gas industries.”

Business Administration Modern Apprenticeship

The Modern Apprenticeship allowed Morven to gain workplace experience and a qualification through NESCol.

Morven has been with Motive for two years, and her role involves providing administration support to a team based in Norway. One of her apprenticeship highlights was travelling to work in the Stavanger office.

She said: “I have felt valued throughout my apprenticeship as I have gained responsibility with the Norwegian sector of the business. It was lovely to meet colleagues face-to-face as I had been working with them every day for over a year and had only ever seen them through a Teams video call.”

Morven is a proud advocate for apprenticeships and is passionate about sharing her experience. Along with her line manager, she took part in a podcast at Banff Academy as part of Scottish Apprentice Week. She has also pushed herself out of her comfort zone, speaking to an audience of forty at NESCol’s career fair in Fraserburgh.

She said: “I wish I’d known more about apprenticeships in my senior year at school and that not everyone has to go to university.”

Support from the workplace and College

The support received during her apprenticeship has helped Morven excel in her role.

She said: “My Assessor is a credit to the NESCol team. Her continued support, dedication and guidance have been a real treat. I could not have done it without her and I’m sure other apprentices across the North East feel the same.

“Motive have also been an excellent support. They really value their staff and will help you as best they can to achieve your goals throughout your career. My line manager, David Nicoll, has been incredible – his advice and guidance have shaped my apprenticeship journey and been greatly appreciated.”

Morven completed her Modern Apprenticeship in July but has no plans to stop her learning journey.

She said: “I am just at the beginning of my career, and I am so excited for what is to come. I feel confident moving forward as the experience of a Modern Apprenticeship and the skills I have managed to develop stand as a strong base structure for the rest of my career.”

Why choose an apprenticeship?

The apprenticeship route has been the perfect fit for Morven.

She said: “I would definitely recommend a Modern Apprenticeship. I really enjoyed getting my foot in the door at eighteen years old and building relationships and gaining experience in the industry from such a young age.

“For me, a huge draw was the earning whilst learning aspect. It’s brilliant to begin earning an income and working in a professional setting whilst learning both through NESCol and your workplace.

“I worked four days a week and had one day a week for studying which was better for me than full-time education. It was a lot more manageable and a lot less intimidating.

“An excellent way to start your career is to begin with a solid apprenticeship. The skills and experience gained can open so many doors and unlock much potential for the future. If you are considering it, go for it!”