Each day during #NAW2020 we will be introducing you to inspirational apprentices and rising stars, working in Local Government in the East of England, who blaze their own trail.
My name is Lauren Steele and before working for Thurrock Council I was a full-time student studying A levels. I have been working within the Corporate Programme Team as their level 4 Apprentice Project Manager for about 5 months now.
I am currently leading on two projects under the supervision of my line manager and other colleagues so that I can explore my role as a project manager.
I have also got some more work heading my way which will involve a very interesting project that affects the whole of Thurrock Council. By doing this I can see what the roles and responsibilities of a project manager are and how a project delivers from start to finish. This is extremely beneficial for me as I can relate the projects I’m working on to the topics and assignments I am set by my tutor to work towards getting my project management qualification – I am able to study and work at the same time.
Since working at Thurrock Council I have been given so many opportunities to put myself out there and learn loads of new skills such as representing Thurrock Council at Opportunity Thurrock (a careers fayre), I’m currently in the process of doing my Silver Duke of Edinburgh, and I was shortlisted for the PPMA National Apprentice award event at the University of Warwick and attended the 2 day event as a finalist.
All of these opportunities, as well as the support and motivation from my colleagues, have allowed me to grow as a person and become more confident in the way I present myself.
By doing an apprenticeship I am able to learn, learn and work all the same time and I am not limited to where I want to go once I have qualified as project management is a transferrable skill.
I would 100% recommend an apprenticeship to a person who is a lot more hands on and would rather be doing the work than just learning about it. I would say that doing an apprenticeship is a great starting point when developing a future career.
Apprenticeships give the opportunity to look beyond traditional routes into employment and allow you to explore a diverse range of career options in local government and beyond. Our #NAW2020 feature provides just a small taster of the true value that an apprenticeship can bring, to both individuals, local authorities and the wider community in the East of England.