Supporting Apprentices to Achieve Distinction: Harry and Ethan’s Journey with Zenith and Apex
Client
Apex Radio
Skills
Apprenticeship/Level 3 Customer Service Specialist
At Zenith, we’re passionate about supporting apprentices to build the skills, confidence and knowledge they need to succeed in their careers. Through our partnership with Apex, we’ve had the pleasure of guiding many apprentices through their learning journeys, and we’re always proud to see them reach significant milestones.
Recently, two of Apex’s Customer Service Apprentices, Harry Hastings-Petrie and Ethan Ladd, successfully completed their apprenticeships — both achieving distinctions. This outstanding achievement reflects not only their dedication and hard work, but also the strong collaboration between Apex and Zenith to support their development.
Throughout their apprenticeship, our trainers worked closely with Harry and Ethan, delivering teaching sessions, providing guidance, and supporting them through their coursework, portfolio building and professional development.
To reflect on their journey, we spoke with both apprentices about their experience.
Choosing The Apprnticeship Route
For both Harry and Ethan, an apprenticeship offered the opportunity to gain real-world experience while working towards a recognised qualification.
Harry explained that university was never something he strongly considered. Instead, he wanted to begin his career straight away, gaining practical skills in the workplace while earning a salary and achieving a qualification at the same time.
Ethan’s route into an apprenticeship was slightly different. After initially attending university, he realised that the traditional academic route wasn’t the right fit for him. An apprenticeship provided the perfect alternative, allowing him to learn through practical experience while developing professional skills and progressing within the workplace.
Their Apprenticeship Journey
Like any learning experience, the apprenticeship journey came with its challenges. However, both apprentices described the overall experience as extremely positive and rewarding.
Through regular training sessions, progress reviews and ongoing guidance from their Zenith trainer, Harry and Ethan were able to navigate these challenges and continue developing throughout the programme.
They both explained that overcoming obstacles helped them grow in confidence, build resilience, and gain a deeper understanding of their roles within the business.
Skills Developed Along The Way
During their apprenticeship programme, Harry and Ethan developed a wide range of skills that will support their long-term career development.
Some of the key skills they built throughout the programme included:
- Communication
- Time management
- Teamwork
- Problem solving
Through a combination of workplace experience and structured learning delivered by Zenith, both apprentices gained the confidence to interact with customers professionally, handle challenges effectively and contribute positively to the wider team.
The programme also helped them develop a broader understanding of Apex’s products, services and industry, giving valuable context to their day-to-day responsibilities.
The Importance Of Employer Support
A successful apprenticeship relies on strong collaboration between the employer, the apprentice and the training provider.
Throughout their apprenticeship, Apex provided Harry and Ethan with the time and support they needed to complete their coursework and meet their learning requirements. Regular one-to-one meetings with managers allowed them to receive feedback, reflect on their progress and identify opportunities for further development.
Combined with the guidance from their Zenith trainer, this support structure ensured both apprentices were able to stay on track and perform at their best.
Looking Ahead
Now that they have completed their apprenticeships, both Harry and Ethan are looking forward to continuing their careers at Apex.
During his apprenticeship, Harry discovered a strong interest in the engineering side of the business. After spending time working alongside the engineering team, he realised this was an area he would like to pursue further and is now keen to develop his technical knowledge and gain more experience within that department.
Ethan is also excited to continue progressing within the company, building on the skills and confidence he developed throughout the programme.
Milestones That Made the Journey Special
For Ethan, one of the most memorable moments of the apprenticeship was submitting his final portfolio. After months of dedication and effort, completing the final stage of the programme brought a huge sense of achievement.
For Harry, a key milestone came when he realised that tasks he once found challenging had become second nature. That moment highlighted just how much his confidence and ability had grown throughout the apprenticeship.
Achieving Distinction
When asked what achievement they were most proud of, both apprentices gave the same answer — completing their apprenticeship and achieving a distinction.
Balancing work responsibilities alongside study can be demanding, but their determination and commitment paid off. Receiving such a high grade recognised the effort they had invested throughout their journey.
When they discovered they had achieved a distinction, both described feeling proud, relieved and excited about the future.
A Successful Partnership
At Zenith, we’re proud to work alongside employers like Apex who are committed to developing talent through apprenticeships. By combining workplace experience with structured training and support, apprentices are able to build the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed for long-term career success.
We would like to congratulate Harry and Ethan on their fantastic achievements and thank Apex for their continued commitment to apprenticeships.
We look forward to seeing how both apprentices continue to grow and succeed in their careers.
