Project Management Apprentice Review

I attend meetings, these can be once I am just sitting in for experience or updates, I also organise and chair meetings that are required for the work I am completing in my placement. I am usually given responsibility for a piece of work that I can deliver, this involves creating documents and getting them accepted and site visits.

I have learnt how to vary my communication methods between different people in order to achieve what is required. I have an understanding of what is required of a PM and how to drive the work forward. I have gained confidence going to areas I do not have much experience.

I enjoy moving round the programme and getting a feel of the different areas of the company. I feel I can now understand where I would like to work and doing what. Being apart from the programme and the business supporting it means the placements all let me be included in what I want.

It is structured as we all move around every 6 months, we know when we are moving and what we are going onto next education wise. However it has just got a little more complicated with the apprenticeship changing between cohorts and some feeling they have not had the opportunity to gain as much qualifications as others.

When you are on a placement the support from you team and area is amazing, everyone wants you to have access and opportunities to as much as possible. They can tailor the work to as much responsibility as I feel I can handle. From the capability side they are always on the other end of the phone when we feel we need to discuss an issue or seek advice.

Our training provider Gen 2 is only with us for the first 2 years of the apprenticeship and they were slightly separate to us, our assessor was very supportive however we only seen him as an when we required for our competencies. We did not have much interaction with Gen 2 as a whole, this was more through our capability.

Covering our qualification has opened a lot more opportunities in Sellafield Ltd as the qualification was a requirement to progress to any higher grades. It also means we are finishing the apprenticeship with similar qualifications to those out in the project management capability. It also helped when we moved onto the degree.

With Sellafield Ltd there are numerous extra-curricular activities such as STEM, plenty of charity events to be involved with, the apprentice council. There are quite a lot of networking events and there are even monthly dinner time speakers in my building which you can attend. We also help at career fairs.

Yes

The opportunities it can offer through qualifications and experience. I have completed a degree in full-time study and one whilst working, and even though time constraints are harder when working the fact you are working one you are studying is really useful. Plus to work in a really interesting area with world-leading technology and projects.

I would ensure that on your application you show that you have done some research about the company and understand what it is about. That you understand the area of the apprenticeship (so for mine project management), then talk about yourself and ensure there are elements that could separate you and make you stand out.