“Learning in the Real World Made More Sense to Me” – Why Zara Chose a Business Administration Apprenticeship

Zara McCutchan is an East Sussex College Level 3 Business Administrator apprentice at Bird Brick Houses, a specialist manufacturer of wildlife products, supplying bird and bat boxes to builders’ merchants, developers, architects and homeowners across the UK.

As a family-run business, Bird Brick Houses has given Zara the opportunity to gain hands-on experience while supporting its continued growth and development.

Zara chose the apprenticeship route after school because she wanted to develop her skills in a real business environment while gaining hands-on experience within a growing company.

“I chose to take the Business Administrator Level 3 Apprenticeship - I knew I wanted to use the knowledge I already had and expand it in the real world, with real tasks and real people.”

At Bird Brick Houses, Zara works across multiple areas of the business, meaning no two days are the same. Her role spans administration, communications, logistics, and even social media management.

“As I am lucky enough to be able to cover all areas in the office at Bird Brick Houses. Typically, no day is the same here. I communicate with site managers a lot of this mostly on the phone or via email, I process orders, these could be buyers from builders’ merchants, developers, architects or even the people who need a bird/bat box for their home extension. I run our social media so I am constantly looking at what I could post next.

“I also arrange collections and deliveries between the logistics companies and site managers. I am lucky enough that my employers allow me the freedom to create/research into new systems to work out how we can become more efficient in the business. I am constantly working with the Bird Brick House workshop team.”

Through her apprenticeship, Zara has developed both practical business knowledge and personal confidence, particularly when it comes to communication, problem-solving and identifying opportunities for improvement.

“So far in my apprenticeship I have gained lots of knowledge and many skills. I've never found it hard to talk to people, but when you make your first phone call through the business it takes you out of your comfort zone a little. After that I was all good and it really is one of those things you don’t even think about doing now. You learn to have a lot of patience, being able to identify where improvement is needed within yourself and the business, and being able to find a solution.”

Zara added, “I have also learnt a lot about our products that we have here, wildlife, anything that a customer would want to know. I have tried to learn as much as possible, so I am able to offer my knowledge to our clients. I have even learnt a lot about IT, correct ‘corporate’ terms and so much more.”

A key part of Zara’s role has been helping to develop new processes and systems that support the continued growth of Bird Brick Houses. After successfully operating for over 14 years, the family-run business is always looking for ways to evolve, improve efficiency and find new ways of working.

“Bird Brick House has done very well for the last 14 years, however, like anything, as you grow there are always opportunities to develop new systems that help you work more efficiently, improve tracking and make processes simple to complete.”

One of Zara’s key contributions has been the development of a mapping system to help the directors track orders across the UK and parts of Europe, reducing unnecessary admin and improving access to valuable data.

Zara has also developed a bespoke business app that has transformed the way Bird Brick Houses manages its day-to-day operations. Replacing the company's previous project management system, the app brings together sales reporting, revenue tracking, workshop planning and order management in one place, giving the team instant access to the information they need.

"I have created an app that creates statistics on our most popular products, revenue, sales trends and orders, which can all be viewed over different time periods. It's grown into something the whole team uses every day and has really helped us work more efficiently."

Looking ahead, Zara plans to bring all systems together into one platform, making processes even more streamlined and efficient.

“My next plan is to migrate my map into the app, this means I have everything in one place, less data to add, time saved and more convenient.”

She has also been involved in wider digital improvements across the business, including migrating company emails from IMAP (Outlook Classic) to Microsoft 365, a process that took around 18 hours to complete.

Despite the scale of the changes she has already implemented, Zara is showing lots of ambition and says she still has further ideas to develop the business systems in the future.

Zara also highlights the benefits of learning in a real working environment, particularly compared to traditional education.

“Working in a real business has taught me how to handle any real-life situation with real hands-on experience. I am not revising how to answer emails or how to pick up the phone, I am learning on the job. I am dealing with real financial documents, real clients and real situations which prepares me more than I think any textbook could.”

Looking ahead, Zara is excited to continue developing her skills while supporting the future of the family business she has become part of.

“I will continue my journey with my parents’ business. I love it here.”

For anyone weighing up their options after school, Zara is a strong advocate for apprenticeships.

“Do it. Don’t follow the crowd or choose courses because your friends are doing them. Be the one who gets basically the level qualification but with two years more experience and money in your bank account. You learn on the job, you get the grades, get the money, you still get all the support you need from college, and the biggest thing is experience in real life situations.”