14th February 2025
What you did prior to the apprenticeship scheme at the TU and when you started at the TU
Following graduation from Sheffield Hallam University in 2022, I was confident in the fact that I wanted to work in the NHS, but in what capacity, I didn’t know. After a period of job hunting, I eventually found something that excited me, so began my professional career at North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) as an Ambulance Controller. In this role, my eyes were opened to the pressurised environment of the NHS and therefore, I picked up tons of experience that I am still grateful for now, particularly working under pressure and to time constraints. I loved working for NWAS, and when a role in the Trust’s health and wellbeing team opened in July 2023 as a Staff Engagement Officer, I jumped at the opportunity, as a large portion of the role’s requirements mirrored much of the learning I had acquired over the course of my public health degree. During my time in this role, I was exposed to a couple of projects, including the ambulance sector’s first Sleep, Fatigue & Recovery project that aimed at optimising shift workers’ recovery habits by utilising sleep tracking technology. Following this, I undertook my PRINCE2 qualification to support NWAS with similar projects in the future.
What attracted you to choose the TU apprenticeship scheme over another career/education path
Working on projects as a small element of my role at NWAS and completing the PRINCE2 qualification gave me a taste of the world of project management and opened my eyes to the profession. I decided I wanted to move into this line of work and when I saw the opening for an Apprentice Associate Consultant at the TU, I couldn’t believe how perfect it looked for me – it allowed me to continue my learning and build my consultancy skills through an Associate Project Manager programme with BPP.
Training and development:
What does your apprenticeship entail? What have you enjoyed the most?
The apprenticeship is a Level 4 qualification that teaches me how to smoothly deliver change in any business sector through modules including ‘Project Synergy’, ‘Planning for Success’ & ‘Delivering Results’. Each module consists of a written submission in the form of a reflective statement where I consider both the experiences of my day-to-day role and learning taken from the webinars and workshops delivered by BPP.
A particular highlight for me was the first workshop I took part in where, in breakout rooms, we would discuss our roles in the context of the learning we had undertaken in the module to date. This was an enlightening activity because it helped me understand how what we are learning helps us in a variety of roles across the NHS. Hearing about other people’s experiences and being able to bounce ideas off members of the group who are more experienced than I am in project management has been really helpful in applying my own learning.
What internal TU training have you had? What have you enjoyed the most?
Internally, I have undertaken several training sessions, both as part of my induction period and as part of Whole Team Days/Whole Team Meetings. This includes training on project management methodologies, change management, writing skills, clinical redesign, and delivery lead training. My particular highlight has been the change management training where I learned techniques for dealing with potentially difficult stakeholders. Although I’m not looking forward to being put in a position of conflict, I certainly feel better equipped to deal with a situation like this!
How has your apprenticeship/training supported project working?
Instead of focusing on the healthcare industry, the Associate Project Manager programme teaches project management techniques in a broader perspective. For instance, in the sessions, construction projects have frequently been presented as examples. This has been helpful because it has forced me to think more deeply to be able to apply the examples to my current projects. I believe this has allowed me to grasp the concepts of project management more broadly and apply what I have learnt to the diverse range of projects that the TU works on, rather than just applying a ‘copy and paste’ attitude to the learning.
How do you balance work, personal life and learning?
As part of the apprenticeship programme, my week is split 80% day-to-day role and 20% apprenticeship. This means I get one day a week which I use to attend webinars, complete submissions and take time to revise my learning. So far, I have been using the ‘Do Not Disturb’ function on MS Teams to signify to my colleagues when I am working on my qualification. So far, this has been working perfectly. Moving into Q4 where things have been increasingly busy with my project work, I have had to be more flexible to respond to these demands.
So far, I have found it easy balancing these commitments with my personal life as well; I make sure to stick to a 9-5 working pattern and I enjoy the flexibility of hybrid working. At the moment, I have developed an office/home working pattern that seems to be going well for me with Tuesdays and Thursdays being the day I work from the office and mingle with my colleagues.
Reflections:
What are you most proud of achieving during your apprenticeship so far?
I completed my first apprenticeship submission at the beginning of January. I received a Grade 3/3 meaning the work successfully demonstrated the required learning outcomes and did not need resubmission. I went into writing this first submission feeling apprehensive about whether I would achieve a good grade, but by being disciplined with the time and effort I applied, I have given myself confidence to continue achieving top grades.
Can you share an example of a rewarding or challenging project/task you have worked on?
The immediate one that springs to mind was an in-person stakeholder engagement workshop for the Greater Manchester HR project. As a team, we facilitated collaboration discussions for the senior HR staff at the ten Greater Manchester NHS organisations. Having the opportunity to support this just a few weeks into starting at the TU was a major learning hurdle for me to overcome. Ultimately, the findings from the workshop allowed us to produce a high-quality deliverable by the end of the project which made the workshop all the more rewarding to be a part of.
What advice would you give to someone considering an apprenticeship?
If you are just starting out in your career, I would say undertaking an apprenticeship is the perfect opportunity to learn on the job. At work, I have felt empowered to contribute as much as I can to each project whilst feeling I have that safety net of support behind me as I am still learning. The apprenticeship webinars and workshops have also helped me understand why we do certain things throughout the lifecycle of a project here at the TU. An apprenticeship is the perfect blend of working and learning and if you are someone who is debating whether to undertake one, speaking from my own experience, don’t hesitate.
Where do you see yourself after completing your apprenticeship? Or what are you looking forward to throughout the rest of your apprenticeship programme?
Upon completing the apprenticeship, I see my future here, at the TU. I have really enjoyed my time here so far; there is a fantastic culture at the TU and when you couple this with exciting, fast-paced, varied client projects, I believe it is the perfect place to continue my learning on the job permanently.