Next Step Apprenticeships

Andy - County Business Manager

 

I joined Devon County Council in June 2020 as a Service Support Officer in our Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH).  This was a huge shift for me, as I was previously a Lecturer in Travel & Tourism at Exeter College for 10 years.  I can honestly say this was a scary jump into the unknown, but I needed a new challenge and something fresh!

Nearly 4 years later, I am still here, having secured the role of County Business Manager within our Transformation & Business Services Directorate.  Stepping up into this role was a significant jump in responsibility, but one that I was absolutely ready for, and knew I had many transferrable skills that I would be able to use within the role.

Within my first couple of months, I reached out to my line manager and expressed my interest in taking up the opportunity of completing the Level 5 Apprenticeship in Leadership & Management.  I was fully supported in my decision, and soon after signed up, and my learning journey began!

The apprenticeship for me was a fantastic learning journey.  I have always been passionate about lifelong learning, and to do something alongside my work that would benefit me personally and professionally, I was keen to get going.  The course itself lasted around 18 months, and included 9 different modules, with the apprenticeship framework running alongside. My learning journey covered lots of interesting topics, including project management, management of change, leading of diverse teams and finance management.  Learning included both in person lessons on a weekly basis at South Devon College, as well as online sessions with my Skills Officer who supported me with the apprenticeship tasks that ran alongside my classroom learning.

During my studies, for me one of the best parts was the engagement with others and networking across various organisations.  Lessons had around 15 learners present, and backgrounds and experience was varied and diverse.  I was able to learn from others, share experiences, ask questions, and gather intelligence from others which I have used in my role when faced with similar situations. 

Rewinding to August 2023, I came to the end of my classroom studies, and completed and passed all of my 9 units which I was thrilled about.  I then needed to focus on my end point assessment, working closely with my line manager (who was exceptionally supportive throughout) and my Skills Officer.  These sessions focused on ensuring I obtained my 20 pieces of evidence and completed my overall project that I would then present as part of my final assessment.  I completed my end point assessment on 18^th October 2023, having worked on my final project for 12 weeks and getting all 20 pieces of evidence together in readiness for my showcase!

The end point assessment itself was formal, via video link, with an independent assessor.  The process covered multiple areas, of which related to my 20 pieces of evidence and my project.  There were questions, both theoretical and practical, with a focus on giving me the opportunity to demonstrate my knowledge and competence against a set number of criteria.  Don’t panic, you know what the criteria is in advance, you just need to prepare and make sure you are organised and have everything available.

Following my end point assessment, I took a deep breath (sigh of relief!), and I can’t lie, I was glad it was over.  I was feeling quietly confident and felt I couldn’t have done any more.

To my surprise, a week later my results came through and I was so pleased to see I had been awarded a distinction!  I was thrilled, telling my manager immediately and reaching out to my team, friends, and family.  Proud is an understatement! 

I can honestly say it has been great, and I am keen to continue my learning journey, looking at further opportunities to develop my skills and experience.  Without the support and encouragement of my manager, I really don’t think I would have been able to achieve this outcome.  I am forever grateful and really believe that the support and coaching that I continue to get will support me in my future steps with Devon County Council. 

Andy 

County Business Manager

I found supporting Andy’s apprenticeship interesting and energising, it gave me opportunities to reflect on my management style and to use my coaching skills.  It gave opportunities for Andy to complete pieces of work to improve the efficiency of processes and generate some substantial savings for DCC.  The support we both received from his Skills Officer was very helpful and enabled both of us to clearly articulate and document Andy’s progress throughout his apprenticeship during our review meetings.  I didn’t find the management time commitment to support Andy’s apprenticeship to be onerous.  Andy started his apprenticeship in April 2022 and finished in October 2023.

 

Andy has worked for DCC since June 2020 and has progressed to become a County Business Manager, taking on this role in March 2021.

Andy is a key member of my management team and brings a lot of energy to the service.  Andy empowers his staff to learn and develop and challenge the way that things are done with a clear desire to support continuous improvement in the organisation.

 

I am very proud of Andy who achieved a Distinction for his Level 5 Leadership and Management Apprenticeship.

 

Mary Primrose

Business Service Manager (Customer and Business Relations) – Andy’s Manager

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