Before coming  to work in Salcombe at Pebbles I worked as a carer and had done so for six years. I enjoyed my work, but it was something I had fallen into after school and I was at a point where I wanted  to take a different direction and work regular hours rather than evenings and night shifts. At that point I saw an advert in the Gazette for a one year  Customer Service Apprentice at Pebbles.

Because it was an apprenticeship it came with a college course at South Devon College, which gave me a Level 2 NVQ in customer service and an Intermediate Level Apprenticeship in Customer Service.  

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Balancing work and studying was easy because the college course was part of the working week, and as a result it was the perfect way to change careers and learn on the job. In the office I learned to  handle customers and deal with any complaints effectively.  

I have been supported by an incredible team of people who are friendly, supportive and caring. Meanwhile the course gave me a framework for dealing with customers and showed the importance of customer care. The whole process has given me a greater sense of direction in my career and what was initially a one-year thing is now a full time role in an exciting company with lots of opportunity to progress.

I am not really one for public recognition, but I am very proud of those awards. While I’m proud of myself however, I definitely feel that it’s the result of Pebbles’ support that I was able to excel. Overall, Pebbles has given me a happy place to work and stress levels are managed much better than in previous roles.  

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There are always opportunities for promotion, further learning and progression and there’s a lot of opportunity to grow with the company which makes it exciting and a place that you want to stay, belong to and work hard for.