Apprentices off to the tower, MD mingling with the stars
Astro apprentices graduate at ITP ceremony
What an end to the year we are having. On Tuesday Steve Hodges joined me at one of my (to quote Mr Hodges) “Ambassadorial Duties – which was unusually in a pub” to see our two apprentices receive their graduation certificates. After two years of hard work and dedication James and Joe completed their apprenticeship. It has been fantastic to see how our apprentices have developed during their time with us. What is most rewarding is the way they maintain the Astro image at such events. They clearly stand out as a result of being smart, engaging, polite, respectful and professional at all times and we are very proud of them.
Immediately after the graduation ceremony some of the group were treated to a tour of the International Media Centre in the BT Tower. I remember seeing the iconic BT Tower being built, in 2016 it celebrates its 50th birthday. Whenever I see the BT Tower now I can’t help feeling it looks naked now the horn shaped wave guides have been removed.
“…over 16,000 hours of content pass through the BT Tower IMC video switches every day.”
As I entered the building on Tuesday I realised it had certainly changed since my last visit when I worked there briefly around 28 years ago When I was engaged (during my time with Astro) to investigate an intermittent X.25 problem. The X.25 circuits were carrying control data to switch TV channels. The area I worked in back then looked just like any other BT building with racks of cream coloured equipment – some of it still electromechanical.
The IMC could not be further removed from the BT Tower I worked in. While the guide was showing us around he gave us a few statistics relating to the amount of media traffic that passes through the IMC. It was very impressive on both a national and international scale with over 16,000 hours of content pass through the BT Tower IMC video switches every day. Another interesting fact was that many media companies are around Soho to be close to the BT Tower. In the days before high speed data services, runners from the media companies used to carry film tapes to the BT Tower for transmission.
The control room staff are in attendance 24/7/365 ensuring the TV channels operate with optimal performance. The control rooms have no windows to ensure the video experience and working environment is constant throughout the day and night. The visit was a short but fascinating insight into TV transmission, and I am really grateful to the ITP for arranging the visit.
“Coventry’s first recorded apprenticeship dates back to the early 14th Century.”
We are also very proud of what our apprentices have achieved in their first two years – two of the most important years of their careers. We only have two apprentices so to have both James and Joe as finalists in the 2015 ITP Apprentice of the Year Award was a fantastic achievement. The icing on the cake was James going on to win the award in the SME category.
The ITP Awards were certainly one of the highlights of our year and we were extremely happy with all James and Joe had achieved, but there is more to come. As part of their ITP apprenticeship package James and Joe attended City College Coventry. While they attended college they studied and lived there for a few weeks throughout the year. As a result of their success at the ITP Awards the staff at the college entered James and Joe into the City of Coventry Freemen’s Guild Apprentice of the Year awards.
Like Freeman in other cities in England and Wales, Freeman of the City of Coventry have a historical relationship with apprenticeships. Coventry’s first recorded apprenticeship dates back to the early 14th Century. Shortly after leaving the BT Tower I learned that Joe has been successful in making it onto the shortlist of the City of Coventry Freemen’s Guild Apprentice of the Year awards. We were told the applicants were of a very high calibre across a wide range industries and were congratulated on the calibre of both of our apprentices. It appears James only narrowly missed out on a place so again our apprentices have both done exceptionally well.
“…our apprentices were not the only members of our team to be featured in Comms Business.”
Joe is due to attend an interview with the judges in early January and then the results are announced at a black tie event on Tuesday 19 January at St Mary’s Guildhall, Coventry. James and some of the Astro team will be there to support Joe. We all wish him every success.
Having two celebrity apprentices has certainly gained us and the ITP some well earned positive publicity. We were featured in the latest edition of Comms Business as well as some other industry publications. But our apprentices were not the only members of our team to be featured in Comms Business. Our very own Mr Hodges was also featured in the same issue. In the printed version you can find our apprentices on page 14 and Mr Hodges on page 22. The links to both articles are provided at the bottom of this blog.
“…the bar has been set extremely high for the next Astro apprentice.”
James and Joe are no longer apprentices as they have moved on within Astro and are key members of the team. James works in our customer services team and Joe in business development. So, the bar has been set extremely high for the next Astro apprentice. We are currently seeking an apprentice to work on our service desk to follow in James’ footsteps. It is an amazing opportunity for a young person to fast track their career. We are again partnering with the ITP for this new position so the successful candidate will have the full support of Astro and the ITP to ensure they get the best possible start.
Useful links…
The ITP Apprenticeship Scheme
The City of Coventry Freemens Guild Apprentice of the Year Award
Comms Dealer – Double success for Astro apprentices
Comms Dealer – Astro’s bright star rises in comms space
Thinking Business December 2015
BT International Media Centre