SDN supports hundreds of apprenticeship providers each year to launch, develop and improve their apprenticeship training. We work directly with employers too, to help them support apprentices in the workplace.
But did you know we also employ our own apprentices?
Two of our new Directors have just completed their Level 7 Senior Leader degree apprenticeships and Chloe Bjarkan, our Marketing Coordinator, has recently hit the halfway point for her Level 3 Marketing Assistant apprenticeship with The JGA Group.
In this blog, we check in with Chloe to see how she’s progressing, what value she’s taken from the apprenticeship and how she would like to progress her career in future.
Why did you decide to start an apprenticeship?
“I’ve always been a believer in lifelong learning. There’s no point in your life where you stop being interested in new things or stop needing new skills, especially in a world where technology keeps us all moving at high speed!
When I started at SDN I had three years of office experience under my belt, but as I was working in a small agile team, I ended up doing a bit of everything. Admin, HR, payroll, budgeting, marketing, it was a brilliant experience but there was no time to find my groove or follow a particular skill.
My role at SDN started off with general administrative work but during my first year I leaned heavily into marketing-related tasks like mailings, CRM, website design/maintenance and social posts for our events and services. I’d developed an interest and my Line Manager took notice. It was rewarding to have my employer recognise a growing skill and encourage me to turn it into a learning opportunity.
Luckily, for myself and for SDN, my interest was directly related to one of our company goals for the next few years – reassessing our marketing approach. We were able to bring in much-needed new skills and knowledge to SDN while also supporting my interest in marketing. It was a win-win situation!”
What support have you received from your apprenticeship provider?
“I always assumed support from the provider would kick off at the start of the apprenticeship, but The JGA Group has been involved right from the get-go! Originally, we were looking at the Digital Marketer apprenticeship, but they helped us break down what results we were after, what skills were most needed and what KSBs were most relevant to my planned role and it looked like Marketing Assistant was a closer fit.
The experience feels highly personalised. My skills coach is consistent in assigning tasks directly related to my company’s needs or personal objectives. This means my learning has been of high value from day one.
As someone with a chronic illness, I need reasonable adjustments in place at work and in my apprenticeship. JGA took this into account when advising us which apprenticeship would best suit us and continue to check in with me regularly to assess any need for future adjustments. Just knowing I am supported by my employer and apprenticeship provider takes a huge weight off my shoulders.”
How have you managed your off-the-job training?
“I’ll admit it was a bit tough to start with. It meant changes to my working week and some trial and error. My Line Manager, training provider and I worked closely to find suitable off-the-job activities that embedded my learning and helped me develop in my role. There’ve been lots of opportunities to work on projects and tasks as part of my learning, that also connect to work-related projects.
The best advice I can give to any new apprentice is to spend a few weeks trialling different working methods to find what works best for you and your company. I tried blocking out time in the mornings or afternoons every day, one day every week, two half days and a few other combinations until I found the right fit. No single method will work for everyone, so it’s best to experiment early on to find your groove and get stuck in with your learning.”
What has been your biggest concern?
“My biggest concern is the assessment. I’ve never performed well under observation, it’s one of the reasons I love working from home. Previously, in education, I always elected to do coursework where I could rather than take exams, so to say I have an assessment aversion is an understatement!
Since I’m an older student, it’s been 12 years since I last took an exam, so I’m sure some of my nerves come from not knowing what to expect. My skills coach has started assessment preparations early to help with this and I have time set aside for practice exams so I’m certainly less concerned than I was six months ago.”
How do you hope to use your apprenticeship going forward?
“After my apprenticeship, I’d like to spend some time integrating the new knowledge, skills and behaviours into my role even further. With less time on direct study, they’ll be opportunities to take on new tasks and make sure I’m in a position to build on my new skills with my day-to-day work and that I am providing the maximum benefit to the company.
I wouldn’t turn down further training opportunities either – there are a few areas of my apprenticeship that I would like to dig into with more depth that could also be beneficial to SDN. Mainly, I’m happy to see where my role takes me.”
And finally, what are you most looking forward to in your apprenticeship?
“As for what I’m looking forward to most, I’d say it’s something that’s not on the curriculum. SDN is all about apprenticeships, we provide CPD on curriculum design, training, end-point assessment and much more. I’m going to come through this with an in-depth understanding of what it’s really like to be an apprentice and how the process works as a whole. That’s an experience you can’t replicate outside of the system and it’s an invaluable skill that will serve me well working with apprenticeship providers for many years to come.”