Apprenticeships: colleagues share their success stories

Colleagues across the University are benefitting from apprenticeships – and we are marking National Apprenticeship Week (5-11 February) by showing you how you could do the same.

Our apprenticeship scheme, run by People Development, allows staff to develop their careers and gain a nationally recognised, vocational qualification.

Staff of all ages, in a wide range of roles, can benefit from tailored learning to develop their professional skills, whilst helping to meet the current and future needs of the University.

Apprenticeships can support the development of new skills for both new recruits and existing staff, and help with staff succession planning, with training paid for by the University’s apprenticeship levy.

Apprenticeship events this spring

Introduction to the Associate Project Manager Apprenticeship

• Monday 5th February, 2-2.45pm, Online – Teams
• Tuesday 19th March, 1-1.45pm, Whiteknights Campus

Apprenticeships: What is the Impact?

• Tuesday 6th February, 2.30-3.30pm, Online – Zoom

Apprenticeships: Introduction for staff

• Wednesday 7th February, 11am-12pm, Online – Teams
• Thursday 7th March, 2-3pm, Online - Teams

Hire an Apprentice

• Wednesday 20th March, 2-3pm, Online - Teams

Colleague stories

Find out more about apprenticeship options on offer from colleagues who have completed them, and see which information event to attend if you feel you could benefit in a similar way.

Megan Budge

Megan was an existing member of staff who completed a solicitor apprenticeship with the University of Law. Read our interview with Megan.

“My two-year apprenticeship ended upon the successful completion of the End Point Assessment, after which I gained a promotion to the position of Commercial Lawyer in the Legal Services team.

“My apprenticeship not only gave me the compulsory qualification for this promotion, but also meant I started with a valuable foundation knowledge of a range of legal topics and on-the-job experience, utilising many of the skills and techniques required to be successful in the role.

“Completing this qualification through an apprenticeship made the step from paralegal to lawyer much more manageable, and I can truthfully say that the challenges of completing the programme were worth the end result!”

Recommended event: Apprenticeships: Introduction for Staff

Daniel Wallace

Daniel took advantage of our apprenticeships scheme by recruiting a Business Administrator apprentice to solve a recruitment challenge in Henley Business School.

“We’ve had a great experience with apprenticeships and our apprentice, Yasmine. We’d initially decided to take on an apprentice to help create a pipeline for progression into G4 roles that we’d struggled to fill, though were quickly impressed by the learnings Yasmine was able to bring back from each day at college.

“We worked with Yasmine and the college to design a project that delivered valuable change to the team. We found the support the college provides really helped Yasmine grow in confidence and professionalism.

“Some of the success of the apprenticeship is down to how brilliant Yasmine is as a team member, of course! And a lot of that comes down to the support we received from the Apprenticeship team at the University when setting the apprenticeship, and during the recruitment process so that we could find the right person for the role.”

Recommended event: Hire an Apprentice

Alison Arkell

Alison was an existing colleague in the Institute of Environmental Analytics (IEA) who started the Associate Project Manager apprenticeship in October 2023 to upskill within her role.

“I started my Project Management apprenticeship in October 2023 to support the Institute for Environmental Analytics with our portfolio of work, and to give me the confidence to take on more responsibility in my role.

“It’s been a good experience with a balanced mix of theoretical learning from trainers and hands-on experience to apply this learning in my day-to-day work. My line managers have been very supportive, providing learning opportunities to learn new skills in real situations.

“I’m looking forward to learning more this year and putting my new knowledge into practice as I progress through the apprenticeship.”

Recommended session: Introduction to the Associate Project Manager Apprenticeship

Alanna Shrubb

Alanna was hired by HR as a Business Administrator apprentice within the People Development team. Having helped the team develop and communicate its learning and development opportunities, she has since completed her apprenticeship and been recruited to a permanent role in Student Services.

“I joined the University as an apprentice in 2022, just after completing my A-levels.

“Upon starting my apprenticeship, I wasn’t sure what type of career I wanted. My time as an apprentice not only gave me a qualification but it provided me with experience and opportunities that led to both personal and professional development. It gave me a foot into an incredible organisation.

“The work that I did was administrative based. I implemented the learning and development opportunities for staff at the university through from planning analysis to session delivery. I was presented with many opportunities to try new things and to shadow different departments, which gave me an insight into where I want my career to go.

“Having completed my apprenticeship a few months ago, I now work in the Student Communications team and I feel like I’ve found my place.”

Recommended event: Hire an Apprentice