Business Management Apprentice Review

I work in a team of 80, providing admin support as well as procurement and finance support. I also organise events and take part in management team meetings, alongside working on my Operations Management Level 5 Apprenticeship with Raise the Bar, which I spend 1 day per week working on.;

So far, I have completed workshops and assignments relating to management of self (time management techniques, prioritisation etc), self-awareness (feedback models, emotional intelligence, types of learning etc) and I am currently working on an assignment about collaboration, within the organisation and externally with partners. I have learned lots of skills and techniques which I have put into place in the work place and seen a positive difference in my productivity.

I really enjoy my programme as I find the workshops really interesting and engaging. The workshops also give us chance to interact with peers from other organsiations on the same course which I find very useful. I have regular meetings with my development coach and have chance to ask any questions or express any concerns.

The programme is very well structured. We have an online portal where we can see the time we have left on programme and we can see which assignments and workshops we have coming up next. We can also find feedback from previous assignments on the portal and our pre - work for workshops along with any additional resources to develop knowledge further.

I receive lots of support from my employer. I have regular 1-1s with my manager to discuss my progress as well as meetings between my development coach, my manager and I. I have dedicated work time to work on my apprenticeship assignments which is vital to my progress in the programme.

I have regular meetings with my development coach where she explains the feedback from my previous assignment, along with discussing the next assignment. We also discuss the learning from each workshop, how it can be implemented in the workplace and any further opportunities I have for development and training at work.

The qualification provides me with knowledge, techniques and skills which I wouldn't have without completing the apprenticeship. It provides me with transferable skills which are not only applicable to the role I am currently in, but a wide range of roles, and in day to day life. I find the knowledge I have gained from the apprenticeship has developed my confidence at work and allowed me to develop my skills.

I am part of the EDI working group, as well as the wellbeing group. As part of the wellbeing group, we take part in monthly activities such as paddleboarding and axe throwing, as well as more work specific extra-curricular activities such as talks and discussions. There are also opportunities to join networks such as the disability network and the faith and belief network.

Yes

We have lots of support from our line managers, with regular 1-1s. We have personal development plans where we set short, medium and long term goals and any training needs to go alongside these. There is a strong emphasis on learning and development and we are given time to develop skills and knowledge, attend training etc to meet our goals.

Don't hesitate to apply if you haven't got experience in the sector. As long as you are enthusiastic and willing to learn, you can be successful at Natural England. There is a huge range of different jobs to apply for, all suited to a variety of people, from specialists to team leaders.