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.
I am working to complete a MSc in Strategic Leadership which is the highest qualification someone can get through the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals. It is something I have wanted to do for a long time, but wasn’t able to afford it. However, once it was offered as an apprenticeship it allowed me to be able to access the course as the organisation can fund it through the Apprenticeship Levy.
I have to attend university every other month, attending for 2 or 3 days at a time. I also have a personal ‘tutor’ who looks after the apprenticeship side of things. We do a video conference 3 times a year and she will also come onsite once a year. These meetings are held with my Workplace mentor, who is also my line manager.
Trying to study around work and my family can be difficult but I have aimed to tackle this challenge by being organised and determined. I plan my study time and social time meticulously and even make an effort to have a social life now as a reward for studying!
The other challenge I face is that this is a Strategic Leadership course, it’s not a Payroll course, and therefore it’s about learning about the whole organisation and having to reach out to managers in other departments. This really takes me out of my comfort zone. I appreciate how busy everyone is and I don’t like to bother them!
The best thing is knowing that I am being supported by the organisation, and that my development and my career aspirations are something which the organisation recognises and supports. Primarily this apprenticeship is to give me the skills to enable me and the rest of the payroll team to grow our service, making it a commercial service.
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.