- Congratulations on starting your QA apprenticeship. We'll be here to support you as you progress through the program. If you have any questions, please note them down, as you will have the chance to ask the digital learning consultant hosting your session at the end of the video. Let's get started.

 

- [Narrator] This apprenticeship will enable you to develop the knowledge, skills, and behaviors required to begin your career in network engineering. So what is being a network engineer all about? The primary role is to design, install, maintain, and support communication networks. This can be within an organization or between organizations. Some of your duties will include: installing and configuring network components including switches, routers and firewalls, optimizing the performance of network systems and services, monitoring, testing and adjusting network systems and performance to meet accepted standards, undertaking system upgrades to network hardware, software and operating systems, designing simple networks from a well defined specification and repairing faults in hardware, software products and the network. This apprenticeship has been defined by leading employers. It will support you to develop the current and relevant skills are needed by organizations. Now, going back to your apprenticeship. This is an 18 month journey to become a network engineer. These Getting Started activities are the first step, building the foundations for the program. After the introduction you'll start your technical learning. Your first module is cloud-enabled networking, which we'll focus on for the first 12 weeks. After this you'll work towards four more modules. These are CompTIA Network plus, Network Systems & Architecture, Security Essentials, and finally BCS Network Security Assessment. As part of your apprenticeship, you'll be gaining three industry qualifications. These are awarded by CompTIA and BCS. We'll give you more details when you approach these modules.

 

- Don't worry if this is all new to you. You will have online resources, classroom training and online support to help you out. Now we have looked at the structure, let's see how the modules work. Each one is made up of three phases, discover, practice, apply. We will go through a number of cycles of technical discovery and practice both online and in the classroom. The objective is to get you ready for practicing as early as possible. Following this practice, you'll be ready to apply those technical principles in your workplace and generate evidence for your portfolio. In other words, the responses to your online activities in Bud and outputs you create in the workplace, will be used to create the evidence that you will need to complete your portfolio. This will show that the work that you're completing within your job role meets the learning objectives of the program. Now that we've given you an overview of the program, I'll introduce you to our team of digital learning consultants, or DLCs. They are a group of skilled subject matter experts, providing support and guidance to help you complete your apprenticeship. You will be assigned a primary DLC. However, you can reach out to any member of the team, as we're all here to help you. You will have access to support between 9am and 5:30pm Monday to Friday. During that time, you can instantly talk to a DLC for advice about your learning or well being. You can also send a message through Bud, or contact the QA apprenticeship help desk for anything not related to learning. So remember, we're here to help you and your employer. We understand that getting feedback promptly is important to you. So, when you make a submission in Bud we aim to have feedback for you within 24 hours to make sure you're heading in the right direction, you will be invited to endpoint assessment readiness checks quarterly, to see how you're progressing towards the end point assessment or EPA. It's essential to your success that both learners and employers go to these WebEx meetings. Before we continue with your day one learning session, there are some more things to talk about. Apprenticeships are a great route to skills which help you in your role and your future careers. At QA, we support government aims and preparing apprentices for life and so we provide you with an excellent safeguarding service. We support Prevent, the government's anti-terrorism judi- for educators, and we promote British values. Throughout your apprenticeship, we will engage with you on your health and welfare, including speaking with you about some of the risks you might face, and how to stay safe. For example, we'll inform you about prevalent cyber risks, online fraud and help you avoid being targeted. Sometimes we might bring up topics that you might find uncomfortable or you might recognize a friend who needs help, and want to talk to someone about your concerns. If you need, we're here to help you. We will also let you know about law and inform you of local risks you may not be aware of. You may self-refer to our safeguarding welfare services. In some cases, however you may be referred by a member of staff, another apprentice, or your employer. Our safeguarding professionals are on hand to support you with any issue. From fraud, or the after effects of criminal activities to anxiety or anything else. The safeguarding teams details are available in the safeguarding module in Bud and linked in all your activities. With those points covered, you can start working on your activities in Bud. And remember, we're here to help you as much as you need. So, if you have any questions feel free to ask the DLC hosting your session. Remember, there is no such thing as a stupid question. Thank you for taking the time to watch this video. We look forward to supporting you through your journey, and we hope you enjoy this apprenticeship.