Celebrate good times – the 12th July, a memorable day for our apprentices

(Marielle Tweedie – Resourcer at Bright Purple Resourcing)

Gaining fantastic new skills, experiencing once in a lifetime opportunities, meeting millionaires, attending events at Hamden, appearing on television and radio, presenting to politicians and key policy makers, taking part in business critical projects and assisting the Bright Purple team, are not the only things the apprentices have gained in their time at Bright Purple. I am delighted to say they have now all successfully completed their SVQ in Business and Administration Level 2 and last week we held a graduation with a difference to mark their achievements.

Robert Orden describes a graduation ceremony as “an event where the commencement speaker tells thousands of students dressed in identical caps and gowns that ‘individuality’ is the key to success.” But here at Bright Purple we do things differently and we wanted to not only celebrate them receiving their SVQ, but also their individual efforts on the programme and that’s what happened on the 12^th July 2012.

In addition to a full house of Bright Purple people we were also joined in the Academy by friends on the programme who have given their time and effort including Neil Francis from Company Net and The Together Partnership, Andrew Muirhead CEO of Inspiring Scotland, Monica Black and Veronica McNeill from DGM and Gordon Dow from The Power Lunch Club.

Nick Price, Bright Purple’s CEO had kicked off the proceedings, discussing why we decided to run the programme, how we have been impressed from a business perspective by the young people’s steely determination and resilience and why it has turned out to be such a success.

My own presentation was slightly different – I finished it by saying it was a day for celebration and used a balloon prop to highlight my point. I delivered my line “let’s end things with a bang” and burst the balloon with a pin. I hadn’t had a dress rehearsal of this so I jumped just as high as the other people in the room!

The apprentices have worked together as a team over the last 6 months and have really bonded. Tom and Becki have decided that sales is not for them so they will be exploring new opportunities in the areas of banking and sports science and have already secured interviews with organisations that include HSBC and The Leith Agency.  A really touching part of the graduation was when the apprentices that were staying put together short presentations for both Becki and Tom to mark their achievements.  Tom was gobsmacked and visibly touched by the words that Lewis had put together for him.

The whole graduation was quite an emotional event as the team at Bright Purple have worked extremely closely with the apprentices and have seen them grow from a group of inexperienced kids to polished professional recruiters and seeing the transformation and hearing the apprentices talk about their gratitude to us all was extremely touching.  There were definitely a few packets of Kleenex used in The Academy when they delivered their thanks.

Also in the audience was a special guest from the Scottish Government, Danny McDonald who works with Angela Constance the Minister for Youth Employment. He had come along to see what the programme involved.

When Neil Francis came in to visit the apprentices and take part in a speaker session, he told them that when the programme finished they should leave with their heads held high and in the weeks leading up to their graduation he recommended they watch the Steve Jobs video of him delivering his commencement speech to the graduates of Stanford University in 2005. In it he talks about getting fired from Apple in 1985, also life and death.

I think everyone should watch this video as it highlights exactly the atmosphere that was in the Bright Purple Academy the day the apprentices received their certificates.  Although the programme is coming to an end there will be another graduation in 6 months time as Lewis, Deonne, Craig and Sarah continue to grow in their careers by working with DGM to complete their SVQ Level 3 in Business and Administration here at Bright Purple. This gives me another 6 months to come up with another presentation prop!

Here is the link to the Steve Jobs video – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1R-jKKp3NA

How to become a new person in six months

(Deonne Budge  – Apprentices, Bright Futures Programme)

This is a photograph of me in my first weeks of January 2012 as a new apprentice with Bright Purple and with my friend and fellow apprentice Becki – she’s the one in the red ear muffs!

Six months have passed and it is now the end of the apprentice programme and it has not long been announced that I have gained a permanent place here at Bright Purple. Looking back prior to January 2012 I was working in a job that I did not like, I didn’t have a career plan but everything changed when I came to Bright Purple and over the last six months, I have done things I dreamed of doing when I first arrived back in January. My own journey here as an apprentice has now ended so quickly and it has been an exceptional and emotional journey. I know other people in their late teens and early 20’s by just getting a small part of the opportunities I have had working in this environment, would help them to think more positively about their own futures.

One of the best part’s of my experiences I would have to say is having had the opportunity of working with the wonderful Emma Hill. Emma was my mentor for the first three months and I just don’t think I would be sitting where I am just now if it wasn’t for her. She is such an inspiration to me and every time I thought I couldn’t do something, Emma helped me believe that I could.

At the start of the programme I would never have written a blog on my own and all my life I have had difficulties with reading and writing, but it is something that Bright Purple has continued to help me with and also helped me the importance of learning to communicate in a professional manner.

We, the six apprentices all were told when first starting in January that there were going to be two places made available in the sales team at the end of the programme. I always worked hard and I wanted to make sure I gave myself a chance of gaining a permanent place at Bright Purple, but as the decision day came closer and closer I decided to myself that sales wasn’t for me. I loved the company and really wanted to work in Bright Purple, but couldn’t see myself in a sales role any longer.

So I plucked up the courage and decided to tell Marielle that I was thinking of moving on to do something else, to try to gain more experience in administration or in a reception and use my organisation skills, which is something I am good at and love doing. When I first told Marielle my thoughts, she said to me to do what I think is right for me and so I started looking for a new position half way to decision day, but it was really hard and almost everything I applied for I never got a response, it was very disappointing.

When the day finally came, D-day as we all started to call it, I knew that I wasn’t going to gain a place here given I had made it known I didn’t want a sales role and so I was just waiting to see who was going to be the lucky ones. Four of us, Lewis, Sarah, Craig and I got taken into the Academy and we didn’t know what was going on, then Marielle said we have 4 envelopes with each of your names on it and inside it ether says you have a place or not. For the people who are not successful, we will help you to find something else – imagine how you would feel?

I thought to myself this is strange, so I just opened my card and it said that I has been successful and waited to see who else had got a place. It turned out that all four of us had a place and we were all excited, emotional and over the moon. As we all sat and took in the good news and I was still thinking to myself, if I don’t want to do sales what would I be doing if I didn’t get this chance?

At Bright Purple there are opportunities to work your way up to be the best, we are taught that the sky is the limit in this company and it is only our own lack of desire and drive to be a success story that can stop us moving forward. So for now I am helping our database team with the transfer of data from our old technology system to the new system. Whilst I am working with this team, I am also completing my Scottish Vocational Level 3 in Business and Administration – still learning while working.

Neil Lafferty is the Sales Director in Bright Purple and is someone who is always very busy and is always easy to talk with and I spoke to Neil about doing duties that a PA would need to do and this will help give me the evidence that I need to complete my level 3. This is something I have only dreamed of completing and to think those six months ago I was struggling to come across in a professional manner and didn’t think I would make it to the end of the programme against such exceptional and confident young people, like my five other apprentice colleagues. Now taking the initiative to work closely with Neil Lafferty our Sales Director and learning about the new technology system, where I will hopefully get involved in helping to deliver the training to all new staff. If this is what I can do in six months, then I can’t wait to see what the next six months will bring.

I am Bright Purple – I was given the chance and I took it

(Sarah Dougal – Apprentice, Bright Futures Programme)

It may now be the end of the apprentice programme, but for me I feel it is only the beginning. Nick Price – CEO of Bright Purple took a massive chance on the 9^th of January 2012, because that was the day he allowed six new employees into his Bright Purple company.

We weren’t just any new employees, we were six 17-19 year olds, with no real work experience, drive or confidence to succeed and perhaps at the beginning, the firm may have felt they had made the wrong decision or had bitten off more than they could chew. But I’m sure to their delight what a chance it was to prove their point and even if I do say so, it most definitely paid off for us all. The six ‘kids’ have transformed into success hungry, determined, confident business people and we owe it all to Bright Purple.

In the economic climate which Scotland is facing at moment the youth of today is struggling and the figures of youth unemployment are terrifyingly going through the roof and therefore facing being young, unemployed and feeling like you are stuck with no way out or anyway forward, can really scar a young person. It can knock their confidence like you wouldn’t believe and it can leave them feeling that being unemployed is all they can achieve in life. All we need is a break. We need people to trust us and give us our chance in life. We need experience to help get us on the career ladder…we need apprenticeships! If there were more apprenticeships like Bright Purple’s then I genuinely feel we would begin to see a difference in the youth unemployment rates. If people in business like Nick gave more youngsters the chance to show what we’re made of, perhaps the older generation would begin to see we really aren’t all thugs, violent and lazy.

Not only did Nick take a chance on me, but I also took a chance on Bright Purple. I was 17, at school, lacked self-belief and wasn’t sure what to do. I knew I wanted to start my career and I knew I wanted to start making my own money and yes I could see what I wanted, but lacked the ingredients to help me get there. I took a massive leap of faith to leave school, but was guided by DGM and was then given a boost by Bright Purple onto the career ladder and therefore I can thankfully say it was the best decision I have ever made.

We have been given mind blowing opportunities over the six months which I can easily say not many, if any people our age will have experienced. We have been given the chance to go and listen to inspirational people speak, such as Nobel Peace Prize winner Professor Muhammad Yunus, who was unbelievably inspirational and most definitely left a long lasting impression on me.

We have been given the chance to present in front of inspirational entrepreneurs such as, Craig Paterson, Hera Hussain, Andrew Muirhead, Jennifer Cheyne, Carol Scrambler, Neil Francis and many more. Once again what 17-19 year olds can say they have presented in front of millionaires and amazing entrepreneurs?

I was also given the opportunity to attend a Youth Employment Convention at Dundee College which was something I most definitely benefited from, as it is a topic I feel extremely strongly about. Then my CEO Nick Price asked me to attend a Holyrood Apprenticeship event, but to my surprise I was then chosen to present at it! An unbelievably nerve racking experience where I presented to over 100 politicians and key speakers, but once I got up onto the stage  and conveyed my opinions about youth unemployment and how I feel apprenticeships are the way forward to solve the problem, I absolutely loved it! It was the turning point for me in the programme and it was the point where I realised just how far I had come and how much I had changed. It was the point where I realised that if I could do that, I could do anything I wanted to.

The opportunities don’t stop there as most recently my fellow apprentice Lewis and I were given the chance to speak on the radio station, Castle FM…yes me on the radio!! We were chosen to speak on Castle FM about our experiences as apprentices at Bright Purple, which I absolutely loved and was another hurdle which I can gladly say I leaped over with huge energy and positivity.

I have so many people to thank for this incredible opportunity. Firstly of course my CEO Nick Price and without Nick’s passion and stubborn desire to look at the potential of Scotland’s youth, I wouldn’t be here today and I most certainly would not be the new and improved Sarah! He has provided endless support and has never stopped believing in the apprentices, something every youngster needs. He is a completely inspirational person, a man who’s passion and determination is contagious. I cannot wait to continue working with him during my time at Bright Purple, but most importantly I can’t wait to continue learning more and more from him. Thank you Nick for this once in a life time opportunity I have not only been given, but earned.

Marielle Tweedie, Head of the Bright Futures Programme! ‘Superstar’ wouldn’t be generous enough words to describe her and Marielle along with Nick, took a chance on us and took huge pieces of time out of her resourcing role to help us on our journey of success and transformation. Marielle has stuck by us every inch of the way, filling us with knowledge and support. I know for a fact if it wasn’t for Marielle the six of us would have struggled, so I for one will be forever thankful.

And then there’s Alex Pullen, my mentor and if it wasn’t for Alex I know for sure my time at Bright so far would not have been as smooth as it has been. She is always there to reassure me and would do anything to make sure she helps me as much as she can. At Bright Purple Alex has been the person I can go to if I’m worried or stuck, but thankfully with Alex there are no negatives, only positives and so I never have a problem for long. Alex is incredible and I most definitely picked the lucky straw when I got her as my personal mentor. There are no words to describe how grateful I am. Thank you Alex!

And finally, last but not least my fellow apprentices.

I’m sure we will all agree that at the beginning we perhaps didn’t get off to the best of starts, putting six youngsters all around the same age together all at once? Of course clashes had to occur, as it was just like a big brother situation where we had all been put together with personalities like chalk and cheese, different opinions and different ways of doing things and we are all young, so of course we all thought our way was the best way. But I’m glad to say it didn’t last long and we settled our differences, came together and became stronger than ever. We began to complement each other and we became unbelievably supportive of one another.

To ‘the famous six’, I wish all of you all the luck in the world although I know you won’t need it as I know each and every one of you WILL successful in whatever you choose to do. Thank you all for being amazing Bright Purple Apprentices!!!

Although I have mentioned a few specific people, I should mention everyone at Bright Purple as they have all played a part in helping me on my journey at Bright Purple. I will now go on to be a resourcer in our permanent recruiting team and it’s my second day in the team, interviews are already coming my way, definitely time for me to experience some more Bright Purple success!

Six months ago I was a young, shy, inexperienced woman – look at me now, I am a Bright Purple Person.

 The best way to predict the future is to create it.

Helping young people to have their say

(Deonne Budge – Apprentice, Bright Futures Programme)

Marielle Tweedie who is Head of the Bright Futures Programme and a Resourcer in our busy sales team, still somehow find’s time to volunteer at Citadel Youth Centre – http://www.citadelyouthcentre.org.uk/

The Citadel Youth Centre offers local children & young people aged between 6 and 21yrs opportunities for fun, meeting friends, trying new things and having experienced youth workers there for help and support. The Citadel helps young people to have their say and with a view to making Edinburgh’s Leith area a good place to grow up.

On the 26^th June Rachel and Andy who are two youth workers at the Citadel Youth Centre came to Bright Purple with three of their teenagers to see how a Recruitment Agency works and to find out more about the Apprentice programme. Tom and I talked about our background before Bright Purple and we talked about how lucky we are to have been accepted in to Bright Purple, not only to work in the company but also to be a part of the social life as well.

Spending the time with the citadel team was great something I feel I can relate to, because while I am happy doing the role I do now, it doesn’t mean I have felt that way. It has taken a lot of hard work and really improved my confidence. You must believe in yourself, everyone else telling you that you can do something isn’t the same as telling yourself and believing in yourself.

For the Citadel teenagers, Tessa, Jordon and Scott I believe that they have the desire to get on in life and I would be happy to help in any way I can, even if it’s sharing my experiences so far. It was such a pleasure to talk with you all and I would just like to say to everyone who follows our blogs, that citadel are doing a fantastic job at helping young people in Edinburgh to get some focus. Keep up the good work Citadel.

Dreams can come true – if you believe in you

(Sarah Dougal – Apprentice, Bright Futures Programme)

Friday the 1^st of June may have just been an ordinary day for most people but for us, the 6 apprentices at Bright Purple it was our very own D-Day.

It was the day that Bright Purple had my future in their hands and there was nothing I could do to control or influence it. I can safely say that on that Friday morning my own nerves were certainly beginning to show and the only thing on all of our minds was the decision which would make a huge impact on our lives.

As time went on excruciatingly slowly, the more I began to think about the conclusions of the day – would I get the full-time position or would I not? Finally, at 2’Oclock much to my relief the wheels were set in motion and we were gradually taken in one by one for our separate and final interviews, which was our last chance to impress and prove that we were future Bright Purple people. During our interviews we were faced with having to justify why we felt we should be offered a permanent position to Marielle – Head of the Bright Futures Programme,  Diana – HR, Caroline and Monica – directors of DGM and who have taken us through our SVQ and of course Nick Price – CEO. I can safely say that at the age of 18 having to prove that I was worthy of a place at Bright Purple to the man who owns and drives it, most definitely wins first place for being the most nerve racking experience I have ever encountered. But nothing could have prepared me for the nail biting wait which was ahead, as we had to hang on until 5 O’clock, after all the interviews had been completed until we learned our fate!

With 5 O’clock quickly approaching anxiety was taking over and we were all focused on one thing – becoming a Bright Purple person. Two of our apprentice colleagues had decided that their futures were not at Bright Purple and didn’t want to follow a career in sales, but that still meant 2 of us would be leaving with them. Our nerves spiralled when Marielle split the 4 remaining apprentices into smaller groups and sent 2 of us into the Thinkubator and the other 2 into the boardroom downstairs. For this I was paired with Craig Lamb – A.K.A the “Jobfather”. I can honestly say I went from being anxious to distraught after only spending a few minutes with Craig, as positive thinking most definitely was not his strong point at that moment in time!

Thankfully, after only a short time we were called downstairs into the academy along with my fellow apprentices where finally we would find out if we were going to be successful or not.

Never did I think I would be almost too nervous to open an envelope but on Friday 1^st June I most definitely was. The four remaining apprentices were each handed a plain envelope which inside held our fate – a terrifying thought with a celebratory conclusion!

I, Lewis, Deonne and Craig’s dreams came true as we were confronted with a card informing us that we had actually all earned a permanent place at Bright Purple and that the firm had decided that it would recruit 4 instead of 2 full time staff to add to the existing Bright Purple team.

The feelings I felt are indescribable in print, but I can honestly say I am forever grateful for the mind blowing opportunity which Bright Purple has given me which I will now grab with both hands. Although I have secured a permanent position at bright purple it will not decrease the amount of hard work I will put in. I am determined, success hungry and will not let Nick, Marielle or anyone who has believed in me down. There’s no limit to what I can achieve and I have everyone at Bright Purple to thank for helping me realise that. Bright Purple has opened an incredible amount of doors for me and has been the stepping stones I needed to get me onto the career ladder where the only way is up – success is now in my reach!There is one saying I most definitely believe in and it’s the saying I said consistently to myself on Friday. It is – ‘what’s meant for you won’t go by you’ and Bright purple is unquestionably for me.

From raw talent to young professionals

(Stuart Whiting – Mentor, Bright Purple)

It’s hard to believe that over 6 months have passed since we sat in the academy with 12 youngsters deciding who would become the Bright Purple Apprentices. Thinking back now we couldn’t have chosen any better the 6 we decided on have been a pleasure and an inspiration to have in the office.

In the beginning the apprentices were very much “raw” talent they had fantastic personal qualities and work ethic but at times you could tell they were new to a professional environment. Initially many lacked self confidence and initiative but they all quickly realised the opportunity they had and quickly rose to the challenge. The apprentices are all from different backgrounds and have very different personalities but it’s clear to see now that they are all very close and many new friendships have been forged.

During the apprentice scheme I have mentored Tom who has always been fantastic to work with. Tom gives 100% anytime he is given a task, never complains and picks up information quickly. Sadly he has decided that the Recruitment Industry isn’t for him, however I am sure he will be a massive success wherever he decides to go. I am sure everyone will agree with me that Tom is almost unrecognisable now in comparison to when he first started. During his talk at the apprentice open evening Tom summed this up himself with “before Bright Purple I was a Boy now I feel I am a Man” this couldn’t be more accurate. It has been a fantastic experience for me personally working with Tom and I now consider him to be a good friend and from a personal point of view will be gutted to see him leave. I can honestly say that I am extremely proud to have worked with Tom and he should also be extremely proud of himself with all he has achieved.

Massive congratulations’ to Lewis, Craig, Sarah and Deonne you have all worked extremely hard over the last 6 months and have earned your permanent places at Bright Purple. It has been great working with you and I look forward to continuing to work with you over the coming months and years. I think it’s safe to say that all 6 of the Apprentices now have bright futures. The skills they have learnt over the last 6 months and their new found confidence will put them in a strong position moving forward be it with Bright Purple or elsewhere.

Apprentices – a breath of fresh air

(Emma Hill – Mentor, Bright Purple)

It seems only five minutes ago that I was asked to assist in the assessment day which would decide our 6 new apprentices. Now 6 months on they are going to graduate and will hopefully walk out of our doors on the 12^th of July with the experiences and tools which will stand them in the stead they will need to achieve success.

It’s fair to say that no one knew exactly what to expect from the apprentice scheme, or who would be joining us for 6 months. I have friends who are teachers and they had filled my head with awful stories of teenagers looking for an easy ride with no aspiration. Nothing could have been further from the truth.

The best word I can use to sum up the experience up both as a mentor and as an employee of Bright Purple has been inspirational. We have been honoured to have Becky, Lewis, Deonne, Sarah, Tom and Craig here with us and I know I can speak for everyone particularly my fellow mentors when I say I have learnt just as much if not more from then as they have from me.

It is very easy to get caught up in the same rut, to start to take things for granted. No matter where we started, we all from time to time forget how hard we have worked and indeed how lucky we are to be where we are. The apprentices have been an absolute breath of fresh air and the perfect antidote to this.

They have grabbed this opportunity with both hands and thrown themselves into the programme with utterly infectious passion.  Coming in early staying late and finding anything they can to get involved in. Simply making it their mission to go the extra mile and give over and above what has been asked of them. It has been a joy to watch.

There is no doubt in my mind that each and every one of the apprentices will succeed because they want to, and because they will keep on until they do.

I can’t write this blog without mentioning the programme leader Marielle. She has been a fantastic support to the apprentices showing total dedication to each of them on an individual basis. I can say categorically that she has their absolute best interest at heart. She has totally thrown herself into each of their successes, which is I think is something that they perhaps were missing in their education and something they really needed and have benefitted from.

I’m not going to finish this by saying good luck to the apprentices. They don’t need it, they have determination. What I will say is, don’t take your foot off that peddle now, continue to work hard and show that infectious work ethic and you will be grand.

The future is BRIGHT, the future is PURPLE

(Lewis O’Connor  – Apprentice, Bright Futures Programme)

The time is fast approaching and soon the famous 6 will no longer be a team within Bright Purple.  Since January it has been quite a journey, as individuals we have all had great successes but united together as a team we have enjoyed a lot more. The time is not of disappointment or sadness but a time of celebration and excitement.

Throughout the duration of the programme we have all been put through our paces and came out on top. We have been gifted with so many once in a life time opportunities which I will forever be grateful for. I plan to use the knowledge which I have built up over the programme and put it straight back into the business. My time as an apprentice has been one of huge challenges, hard work and great rewards. I think this is replicated throughout the company and something I want to be a part of and I am pleased to say that I have been given yet another opportunity by Bright Purple which I consider being the biggest and that is to become a fully established member of the team.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has been involved in moulding me in to the success hungry career driven young man I am today. If it wasn’t for the hard work of Marielle and all the mentors then I don’t think I would have gone on to achieve what I have in such a short period of time. I would like to thank the wider Bright Purple team for their input throughout the programme in allowing us to learn from them and ask them thousands of questions. Both Caroline and Monica from DGM Training have been absolutely fantastic to all 6 apprentices and we owe a lot to them for their support, perseverance and wiliness to help. I also believe that all the guest speakers we have met with over the last 6 months have all made an impact on each apprentice in some way and I am thankful for their time. A massive thanks has to go to Gordon Dow owner of the Power Lunch Club (http://www.powerlunchclub.co.uk/) for supporting the Bright Future’s Apprentice scheme to the full and opening a lot of doors for myself and the other apprentices. He has taken great interest in our progress throughout the journey and has helped us along at every opportunity.

More importantly I would like to thank each and every single one of the apprentices. The list of reasons why is never ending but to state a few, the guys have always been there to help and support one another. We have stuck by each other through thick and thin.

Celebrating the many successes together we have also shared a few bumps along the way, but we remain stronger than ever.

I Look forward to what lies in front of me, and I know going forward I have the full backing of the Bright Purple team and 3 of my fellow apprentice colleagues. For those apprentices leaving Bright Purple I wish them all the success. I fully believe Becki will find the dream job she is looking for and will take what she has learnt at Bright Purple and use it as an effective tool going forward and as for Thomas, I know he will go on to be successful. He has all the determination in the world and is extremely hard working. Who knows, one day he may be super fit living the life in Australia as a personal trainer as he has always dreamed of.

Bright Purple has given me the belief to stop dreaming and actually go out there and make things happen. Nick Price has lead by example and is a living example of exactly what can be achieved through hard work, and the will to be successful.

A quote given to me by the girls at DGM Training “The best way to predict the future is to create it” I will use this throughout my life and fully believe I will go on to have a great career.

Goodbye, but it’s with my head held high

(Thomas Wilson – Apprentice, Bright Futures Programme)

The first chapter of my very short career is coming to an end and although I am pretty sad that I am leaving Bright Purple for pastures new, I know that the experience I have gained is going to put me in a great position for the future.

Unfortunately for me I quickly realised after a couple of weeks of making sales calls that sales wasn’t for me. As this was the role on offer from the start of the apprenticeship I knew that at the end of June I would be informed that I would be moving on in July.

Saying that, I have loved my time here at Bright Purple and I can’t think of anywhere else that would give 6 teenagers a chance to work in such a busy and professional, as well as inspirational business environment. It was quite a risky move for Bright Purple to take on the apprentices at this difficult economic time, but I definitely feel that it has been a successful program and I hope that they do it again for 6 more young people.

Rewinding back 6 months ago I couldn’t be more different. I had no confidence, no work experience and no ambition. I remember when I was in school that I wasn’t the most confident pupil; I used to duck out of things that scared me such as presentations. Thinking about it now it makes me smile, I now feel like a presentation guru. My first ever presentation at Bright Purple was sprung upon me and the other apprentices, we had to present a presentation about our lives. I remember being absolutely gutted hearing this news, presenting in front of 60+ people wasn’t my idea of a good time, but after practicing the presenting over and over again it started to feel natural to me and when I presented to my new colleagues I felt I performed well and I was so proud of myself, because I faced my fear and I won the battle.

I have had so many different high points in my time at Bright Purple, helping out our Lithuanian office by finding them new candidates on the market, working with the DGM team of Monica and Caroline, meeting very inspirational people such as Craig Paterson and Jennifer Cheyne, being named apprentice of the week 4 times and being trusted to create a brand new IT training course for the company. But nothing beats the Apprentice Open Evening for me.

I don’t think anybody will understand how much that night meant to me. During my time of unemployment I listened to the majority of my friends talk about their work with total dis-satisfaction and I used to sit and think, what is the point in doing something you hate so much?

So when I was asked if my family and friends would like to attend the Open Evening, I immediately asked my family but they couldn’t make it on the night, so I asked my friends Dean Horribine and Gavin Pettigrew to come and support me, as they are my most trustworthy friends. When my friends walked in to the office I was determined to show them how well I am doing for myself and to show them how much I am enjoying my work. I worked very hard on my presentation and I think it showed on the night. After the night was over looking at Dean and Gavin’s faces was priceless! It is something I’ll remember for the rest of my life; they were speechless and blown away. In the car journey home they were telling me how proud they were of me and how they wanted to achieve their own goals in their lives. I definitely take the credit for Dean winning a new contract and the under 19 player of the year at Hibernian FC, so if he goes on to play for Manchester United I am expecting a big bonus!

It was a very special night for me and to hear my friends were inspired by me is something I will never forget for the rest of my life.

I will never regret signing up at Bright Purple for the past 6 months. It has given me a foundation to move on to my career and I would never have done it without the support from Stuart Whiting my mentor, Marielle Tweedie the Head of the Bright Futures programme, Kevin Watters – DBA and of course Nick Price the CEO of Bright Purple, who gave me and the other 5 Bright Futures Apprentices this fantastic, once in a lifetime opportunity.

To my fellow apprentices, I want to thank you all for the past 6 months because you have all been incredible team mates and I want to wish you the very best of luck in your future careers and I know you will all be really successful in whatever career you pursue.

Leaving Bright Purple will obviously be a gut wrench for me as I am leaving behind some fantastic people. I have learnt from many speaker sessions that you should chase your passion and not your pension and that’s what I intend to do. Sports coaching and fitness is something that I am really passionate about and I have set myself goals to get back to fitness and chase that dream.

One thing for sure is this won’t be the last time you hear about me!

A Final Farewell – a new person emerges to take on the world

(Becki Munro– Apprentice, Bright Futures Programme)

Well this is my last ever week here at Bright Purple and I can honestly say that the journey here has been one of the best experiences of my young life so far. The last six months of my life have seen me move from an immature young girl to a brushed up young professional lady, who has ambitions to do well in her career. As the saying goes, I’m moving on to pastures new!

Just before the big decision was made about what apprentices were getting kept on, I found the courage to tell Marielle that a sales career wasn’t for me. If I’m being honest it did take me a while to find the confidence to say that because, I didn’t know how it would be perceived as I didn’t want it too look like I have been ungrateful for this amazing experience. The opportunities have been limitless – I’m not sure how one of my future roles will match up to this position that I gained here in January 2012, but I am very excited for the future.

Before I came to Bright Purple, I was working in a hairdressing studio because when I was younger that’s what I thought I wanted as a career, but as I was getting further into my training I realised that in fact the position I held there, wasn’t what I wanted to do and so I took the leap to finally leave and ended up at Bright Purple. Do I regret leaving the hairdressers the day I did? No, because if I never left that day I wouldn’t be sitting where I am now. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made, because being a Bright Purple Person I have turned into the success hungry young girl and now I’m craving to be as successful as I can be. I’ve been told many times that the sky is the limit and that keeps me inspired to do well.

When I started Bright Purple I wasn’t used to working in a sales environment so I wasn’t sure how to conduct myself in a professional working manner. I was very immature and looking back now it has shown me how unprofessional I must have appeared, through my ignorance of the work place. It was the way I acted while working in the hairdressers – loud and brassy! Six months down the line, I am professional and my business mind is always engaged.

When the 5 other apprentices and I first started the programme we were all assigned mentors. My mentor was Emma Nelson and I can 100% say without her support and guidance I wouldn’t be as polished as I am now. She was and still is as dedicated to me as the first day; my development has come on leaps and bounds with her help. She is more than a mentor now; I would class her as a friend. Whenever I need help or some reassurance in the future, I know I can turn to Emma. So Emma even though I’ve maybe not showed it every day – I just want you to know how much I have appreciated your help and still do! You were a great mentor. Thank you!!

I’d also like to say a MASSIVE thank you to Marielle and Nick who have gave me the opportunity to progress to where I am now! Thank you Nick for letting Marielle head up this programme and if every company like Bright Purple gave 6 young people the same chance as the one Nick gave us, then youth employment wouldn’t be hitting the 1 million mark that it is today. With all the time and effort that Marielle and Nick have given me, I deeply appreciate it from the bottom of my heart, especially for believing in me so much!

Everyone else in the Bright Purple office have been amazing to me and given their time up willingly to help me on the projects I was assigned to. To everyone else that I have met on my very short but amazing journey, I would like to say thanks to all of you for giving me the time of day and the chance to be the person I have become today. You have all made my time here very special and I can say it’s one journey that I won’t forget.

Also, if it wasn’t for the DGM girls I wouldn’t be here either, so Caroline and Monica, I want to thank you for all your hard work and dedication that you have shown me in the 6 months. Thank you for helping me to complete my SVQ Level 2 in Business Administration and allowing me to achieve it! It’s a great feeling knowing that I have achieved another recognised qualification without having to go back to school. Thank you again.

Lastly, I want to congratulate my fellow apprentices who have secured a full time position at Bright Purple and I want to wish you all the success in your career and in the future. Knowing that I was in the Famous 6 and one of the original apprentices is an amazing feeling and I can’t wait for Bright Purple to start up another apprenticeship group, because like we were all told from day one, make your time here your own and that is exactly what I have done. I will see the next 6 of apprentices on their Open Night and yes that’s me hinting to get invited back please Nick and Marielle.

I’ve had a ball here and it’s by far been a very memorable and life changing experience for me and my 5 Bright Future Apprentice colleagues.