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Blog posted by: Kayleigh Acourt, 4 February 2020 – Categories: apprenticeships.

Hi, my name is Kayleigh and to coincide with National Apprenticeship Week, I wanted to share my journey as a cyber security apprentice.

As crazy as this is to admit to myself, I have been employed by the Ministry of Justice for almost a year and a half now. Time has flown by so quickly but I can truly say that it has been a whirlwind experience which has played a huge part in progressing my career. 

My interest in cyber security started when I was in the sixth form studying for A-levels. I always knew I wanted to work within cyber and I strived and pushed myself to reach my target of joining the Ministry of Justice three months after leaving school. I first heard about the apprenticeship scheme at a careers fair and  I was attracted to the idea of gaining a qualification while learning on the job and being able to get stuck into the industry straight away. 

Being a cyber apprentice is incredibly interesting and no day is the same. I have gained a wide range of skills and knowledge from adapting and modifying policies, writing guidance on the use of a password manager and analysing risks and threats to our simple technology such as mobile phones. 

There have been other opportunities such as hosting a cross-government meeting and conducting research into improving workflow management practices. By collaborating with other government departments, I have improved my skills and built up a network of contacts which ultimately will help prepare me for working life in the Civil Service. 

As a ‘newbie’ in the technology industry, I occasionally sit and reflect on how much I have learned over my short time spent here. It has made me realise anything is achievable with the right mindset and you need to make the best use of training opportunities, news articles, learning resources and utilising the people around you and their knowledge.

I am very proud of what I have achieved so far and hope to encourage more people to consider taking the apprenticeship route. Apprenticeships offer people of all ages and backgrounds a high-quality path to skilled employment with the option to train at every level in a range of exciting professions.

Discovery at the Ministry of Justice