Project Management Apprentice Review

My day job varied depending on my placement, as I move around departments doing different roles every 6 months. Currently, I am in a construction/commissioning placement so my day job at the moment involves spending a lot of time on construction sites. However, if I was in a Project Management placement, I would be spending a lot of time meeting with stakeholders, completing PXP/PMP documents and attending meetings regarding my projects. I have also been in a project controls placement, which involved taking the role of a Planner and a Cost Engineer. This involved updating cost sheets and P6 schedules ahead of period end meetings. I have also had a placement in risk management which consisted of running risk reviews and risk management plans.

From beginning my apprenticeship and knowing very little about Project Management or any of the roles that feed into it, I have learnt a substantial amount. My skills in multiple areas have developed a lot throughout two years and I have become a lot more confident in my role as a Project Management Apprentice. My colleagues and Managers also have a lot more confidence in me to perform tasks they set me to the highest standard and are happy to run with tasks independently with little supervision.

I can honestly say that I really enjoy my apprenticeship. I find that being able to move around the organisation and experience different teams, projects and job roles is highly beneficial to my role as a Project Management Apprentice and developing my skills. Every team I have worked in have been more than helpful and are always open to any questions or queries I have, and go out of their way to help me.

Very organised. From the beginning, it has been clear what out apprenticeship would entail and all the processes we would be going through. Our new placements are always aware of us joining them and are prepared with work for us from the day we join the team. Dates of exams, training, meetings etc. are always given to us promptly also.

My Line Manager and Apprenticeship Co-ordinator are so supportive and helpful of us, I feel more than comfortable being able to tell them any queries and complaints I have and feel confident that they will do their best to resolve them. The organisation as a whole are stepping up to be more supportive towards their employees also by starting campaigns to promote being open about feelings and ending bullying in the workplace. They are also very supportive of apprentices and everyone is more than willing to help us.

My Gen2 assessor is very supportive of me and helps me weekly with working towards the units for my end point assessment. She is will go out of her way to help me and I am confident she has my best intentions in mind when setting SMART targets and goals.

At times, I feel like my qualification through Gen2 feels like added stress on top of completing a university degree and a full time day job. However, it does help me understand the key fundamentals of Project Management much more clearly and means I have to actively look for evidence in these areas, allowing me to get more exposure to different areas in the project world. Although stressful now, I'm sure it will help me in the future.

Sellafield has a large involvement with the Association of Project Management and I have been able to become a member because of this, which gives me a lot of benefits in regards to my apprenticeship. The APM provide networking events which means I am able to meet professionals that can help me progress in my career after me apprenticeship.

Yes

I believe my apprenticeship is probably the best in the county and Sellafield Ltd provides so many opportunities in different areas of an organisation. It is a professional organisation that has a lot of time and effort for ensuring apprentices do well in their careers and sets me up for a bright future.

Ensure you sell yourself on your applications and in interviews, as it is important you sound better than all other candidates applying as this is a highly competitive environment. I would also say to ensure you research Sellafield as it can be a complex organisation that requires revising so you are aware of the type of organisation you are working in.