How much has community contributed to your life?
We have all been a part of different communities throughout our lives whether that be family, colleagues, schoolmates, mentors, we all have had influential communities in the past.
Many of those communities have been the underpinning factor that got you closer to becoming the person you are today.
Many communities people have may hold them back or do more harm than good.
Auditing your community and making sure you are part of the right ones are integral to ensure you are still progressing.
But why am I talking about the power of community?
We understand the power a community brings
What's funny is that the founders had met each other because of directly as a result of a strong, thriving community, dedicated to personal and professional growth.
We were all part of a developmental program created by the Amos Bursary, who ensure talented people of African and Caribbean descent have the opportunity to excel in education and beyond, which allowed us to connect and share our optimism and love for the future of apprenticeships within the African and Caribbean community.
Becoming apprentices together
Ultimately, we all decided we wanted to become apprentices. We saw it as an amazing opportunity to build valuable skills within a professional context while also still having the opportunity to succeed academically.
We all got accepted into prestigious firms from bulge-bracket investment banks to Big 4 accountancy firms. We were new apprentices, excited to take on the corporate world and had high ambitions.
However, there was a massive problem...
As we progressed throughout our first year as young professionals, we noticed there an enormous issue. Unfortunately, there was a shortage of spaces in which apprentices, specifically of African and Carribbean decent:
Connect and share their similar experiences
Go to fun, productive events and create new, meaningful, long-lasting connections
Help the next generation of apprentices navigate the corporate world for the first time
…so we wanted to change that.
As conversations were had, visions were forecasted and decisions were made, the Black Apprentice Network was born in October 2022.
Creating spaces for apprentices to share experiences, grow as a shared community and thrive together
Conducting events for both current and aspiring apprentices with the opportunity to learn, have fun and connect
Creating a mentoring programme for aspiring apprentices full of potential and from lower socio-economic backgrounds to get an apprenticeship and to adapt to the corporate world much more smoothly and effectively