Pictured above: (l-r) Sandra Garlick, Principal of De Marco Hunter, and apprentice Tom Holl

A Coventry apprentice has his sights set on becoming a solicitor after being given a life-changing opportunity by a local company.

Since being taken on as an apprentice by employment law specialists De Marco Hunter, Tom Holl now has ambitions to practice the law himself.

Tom, aged 17, said: "I would never have thought about training to become a solicitor if I had not been given this apprenticeship. It's opened my eyes to the legal profession."

After leaving Finham Park School at the age of 16, Tom was unsure of his future and had brief spells working in retail and at college before approaching Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber Training (CWT) about apprenticeship opportunities.

Within a few months, he was offered the position of business administration assistant with De Marco Hunter, based on the Middlemarch Business Park in Baginton.

Tom, who lives in Baginton, said: "I am so grateful for this opportunity because I really wanted to work somewhere like this. I had worked in a shop and tried college, but it wasn't for me.

"This is great because I am learning whilst I am working and studying for an NVQ in business administration. The work is really interesting and has made me want to train to become a solicitor after I have completed my apprenticeship."

Sandra Garlick, Principal of De Marco Hunter, decided to take on an apprentice for the first time after learning about CWT's services in her capacity as a board member of Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.

Sandra, who established the rapidly expanding practice in 2007, said: "With the business growing, I needed to delegate my administrative responsibilities.  

"With the syllabus and the training that CWT offered, it fitted in really well to have that role as an apprentice."

The Prime Minister recently gave his backing to apprenticeships and the government has urged more employers to drive economic growth by creating a new generation of skilled workers.

Sandra added: "It is definitely a route I would encourage other employers to follow. Tom has settled straight into the team. I don't know how we managed without him.

"It is a huge benefit for us because we are taking on an individual early in their career and are able to train them in our way of working. We also have a training commitment to him and are supporting him by providing real-life work-based tasks."