A young Lanarkshire apprentice has praised her time working with the Student Loans Company to highlight Scottish Careers Week.
Bianca Bujor is one of the new student finance officers at the firm and she has told how she is relishing the opportunity.
The 23-year-old is now encouraging other locals, who wish to still work while studying, that an apprenticeship is the way to go.
It comes as the Student Loans Company welcomes eight new operations apprentices to its Glasgow office to mark Scottish Careers Week.
Bianca, from Hamilton, is one of the new apprentices after recently taking up her role.
She is now working between the company's head office on Glasgow’s Bothwell Street and its Hillington site while also studying for a business administration qualification with education provider, Babington.
Her role involves supporting customers with their student finance journey by assessing and processing applications and responding to enquiries.
Apprentices receive training on all the Student Loan Company's products and processes, and the 15-month apprenticeship includes modules in customer service, communication and problem solving.
Before joining, Bianca completed a degree in international business and tourism management.
She told Lanarkshire Live : “After finishing university I wanted to keep learning while working at the same time - the SLC apprenticeship delivered the opportunity to do that.
"I’m now part of a supportive team working in an interesting area and I’m excited about the future.
“I split my time between working at home and in the office, and I like the flexibility this brings me. SLC is a great place to work and I would recommend an apprenticeship to anyone interested in studying while working.”
The Student Loan Company is committed to creating career opportunities through its 'Emerging Talent' programme and has 58 apprentices working across all areas of the business including in its operations, people and IT teams.
Jackie Currie from the Student Loans Company said: “The theme of Scottish Careers Week is Shape the Future, and our apprenticeship programme is helping to do that for young people in Glasgow and the surrounding area.
"At SLC we are committed to unlocking potential and developing colleagues to ensure they have the skills to provide an excellent service to customers.
"Our apprenticeship programme is central to this and it’s great to see our new recruits settling in and playing their part in supporting students across the UK.”
The Student Loan Company is recruiting now for 100 frontline customer service roles in their Glasgow and Hillington sites, with start dates in January, February and March 2023.
You can find out more here.
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