Taking part in and completing an apprenticeship gives individuals skills and experience to kickstart their career, while gaining qualifications along the way.
At TotalEnergies Gas & Power, we have long hosted apprentices, and in this edition, we caught up with Samuel Collett who started off as an apprentice in 2013 and is now a Compliance Officer working for TotalEnergies Renewables in La Defense, Paris (as of January 2023).
We also caught up with Paul Symeon and Luca Federico who started their apprenticeship in the company in September 2022.
From Redhill Apprentice to GRP Paris Employee, Let's hear from Sam Collett
Name: Sam Collett
Number of years in the organisation:9 years
Current role: Compliance Officer
''I took up an apprenticeship instead of going to university, and it’s turned out to be a great decision, as I was able to learn at the same time as working, lots of development opportunities, training and career opportunities.''
What was the most memorable part of your apprenticeship?
Seeing so many different sides of the business gave me a better and more rounded view of how the company operates and how the departments interlink, it gave me great context to the work I was doing. It also helped me determine what type of work I liked.
It was daunting at first, being my first real job. But everyone I met were so incredibly kind, supportive and made me feel welcome in the team and appreciated the support I gave, even if that support wasn’t very much at first as I was new!
Photo of Sam on his first day at work in 2013
Can you share your career journey at TotalEnergies to date?
I joined the company in 2013 as part of the 2-year apprenticeship scheme. I did 4-month stints in various departments, including: Major Business Servicing, Industry Operations (metering), Energy Services/Embedded Generation, Audit & Compliance and then Marketing.
In 2015, before moving to my last stint of the 2-year apprenticeship, I was offered a full-time role as an Audit & Compliance Administrator in the Audit & Compliance team. Quite early on, I knew I had decided that Compliance was my long-term chosen career path. The team was relatively new, so I saw and contributed to the development of the team which was very interesting. I loved the opportunity to interact with many teams around the business.
Sam (far right in white jumper) at We Care’ training in May 2014
Since 2015, I have progressed with various job titles, Advisor, Coordinator, to my current position as Compliance Officer, with, naturally, ever increasing responsibilities and more complex work. I have also had great opportunities to complete various further education courses, such as those through the International Compliance Association, I’m currently completing their International Diploma in Governance, Risk and Compliance.
From January 2023, I will be a Compliance Officer working for TotalEnergies Renewables in La Defense, Paris. (Still under Gas, Renewables and Power (GRP)).
What makes TGP a great place to work?
The people! I have been amazed how kind and respectful everyone is. In the Compliance team, we sometimes need to request or actions at short notice, with strict deadlines – and even so, everyone is supportive and understanding.
Since starting at TGP, I found that all information managers and team members were more than happy to spend large amounts of time educating me on the company, its people, systems and processes – which gave me a solid foundation and understanding of the company to be able to progress.
''I simply wouldn’t be where I am today without the people that invested in me during the apprenticeship scheme and my time at TGP, I am very lucky.''
What career advice would you give an apprentice or anyone starting work here?
I know it sounds basic, but something that worked well for me is simply appreciating which skills/(tools in the toolbox) I have that are strengths, then leveraging these strengths. By mentally acknowledging my own skills, this gave me confidence to push for improvements, to present ideas and see them through. Of course, even skills that are strengths can always improve, but thinking on this in general, and often, helps us prioritise which tools need sharpening first.
Let's hear from our 2022 Apprentices...
Name: Paul Symeon
Date of joining the organisation: September 2022
Role: Apprentice in Industry Operations (Gas Metering team)
What has been the most enjoyable part of your apprenticeship at TotalEnergies?
One of the most enjoyable parts of my apprenticeship so far has been the opportunity to learn from the members within my team.
I have had the chance to view the different areas of work that members of my team work on and gain a range of new skills. My work colleagues and environment have also contributed to my enjoyment and helped me learn the skills required to gain a good understanding of TotalEnergies business.
I feel that being able to work within the heart of the business from my first day, has given me fantastic opportunities to utilise my new knowledge and help contribute towards the overall work at TotalEnergies.
Name: Luka Federico
Date of joining the organisation: September 2022
Role: Apprentice in Business Improvement
What has been the most enjoyable part of your apprenticeship at TotalEnergies?
I would say the most enjoyable part of my apprenticeship has been learning from all the experienced members in my team. I have been working very closely with my Line Manager Sam and have enjoyed understanding how projects within the Business Improvement team can impact employees within the business.
I have also enjoyed working with Leia, who was a previous Total Energies Apprentice. This experience has been incredibly encouraging to me, to see someone who has progressed through the same apprenticeship scheme of which I am currently partaking in. It has provided me with great motivation to succeed in my role.
L to R: Paul Symeon, Luka Federico, Elliot Luckins (Three of Six Apprentices in our 2022 TotalEnergies Apprentice Scheme)