Why did you choose a Degree Apprenticeship?

After working in large corporate environments for several years, predominately in roles leading transformational change programmes, I was keen to strengthen my experience by exploring opportunities to complete a Degree Apprenticeship.  

While I am incredibly proud of my achievements before embarking on my degree, specifically identifying over £11m of benefits for organisations to reinvest in future growth, I have for several years held a passion for enhancing my career both personally and professionally through further education, the fact that I had never previously completed a degree but had substantial business experience fuelled the opportunity of cementing my business experience with an academic lens as an exciting prospect. 

While for several years I have been keen to complete a degree, financially, I was never in a position to take on that commitment; I also wanted to make sure that the program itself was a mutually beneficial experience for both myself and my employer, something that is the foundations of the apprenticeship route, providing financial support through government funding alongside the opportunity of applying learning to real-world projects in the workplace.

In addition to the above, I have always had a desire to set up my own business improvement consultancy, but there was definitely a lack of confidence in my ability to succeed, could the degree apprenticeship provide me not only with the skills but the confidence to take that leap? 

To this day, I remember the call I received from Manchester Met accepting me on the MBA Senior Leader programme; I have never felt so excited and proud to embark on a journey of personal and professional development.

Looking back over your time (so far), how have you found the whole experience?

I can only describe my time at Manchester Met as life-changing. From the first session with my cohort back in April 2018, walking into a room full of people that I had never met, to sitting here today proud to say that several of these are now friends for life that provide a network of support and advice across several industries and sectors.

It is safe to say my apprenticeship journey at the University faced challenges along the way, that without the dedicated support of the Manchester Met team, I am not sure I would be where I am today. When I signed up for the programme, I was employed by a large corporate; however, 12 months into my MBA journey, my time in that organisation came to an end; I now faced the challenge of how can I continue with my apprenticeship programme as it was having such a positive impact on me both personally and professionally. It was at this point I was approached by a fellow apprentice Mike Green, Managing Director of RED Systems, a structural glazing company based in the North West, who was not only impressed by my work ethic and career to date he also identified a skillset that was scarce in the industry, leading him to offer me an opportunity to come and work for RED Systems, who would sponsor the remaining of my MBA programme and provide the foundations for me to set up my own business. Credit to Mike and all of the team at RED systems, their continued support has been unquestionable!

At first, I found balancing work alongside study a challenge; I am not going to lie, however by getting commitment and support from my employer upfront before starting the programme and then coupling this with the structure, experience and support from the University, it soon became less of a concern, having said that it was hard at times but as with anything you need to be prepared to put the hard work in to get the best results.

What impact has your Degree Apprenticeship had on the organisation?

My final Executive business project was focused on improving quality in RED Systems and the impact this has in the broader construction industry; with rising quality costs in the business since April 2018, coupled with the construction industries demands for a level of quality never experienced, it was essential to instigate an improvement project that would address these costs, and in turn, minimise their impact on profitability evident through increasing overhead, re-work and administration costs. The project itself resulted in improving quality in RED systems along with an increase in gross profit performance; furthermore, several RED Systems clients have been impressed with the performance improvements and are actively seeking opportunities with RED Jam.

How are you hoping a Degree Apprenticeship will support your career progression?

Embarking on the degree, I had a desire to set up my own business improvement consultancy; however, as mentioned above, there was definitely a lack of confidence in my ability to succeed with this. That said, I am pleased to say that with the skills and experience provided throughout the MBA Apprenticeship programme at Manchester Met I have set up my own business improvement consultancy - RED Jam and I am actively securing new clients on a regular basis. 

What special achievements have you made post your Degree Apprenticeship?

Starting a new business can be challenging, especially when it comes to generating leads with limited finances. One of the immediate concerns I identified is the lack of specialist knowledge in marketing a brand, especially with so many different social channels around today. While I did not have the finances to bring in this expertise, I reached out to Manchester Met and discovered their fantastic Rise Internship Programme they provide to students; three weeks later, after posting a vacancy on their internship vacancy board, I am pleased to report that I have a third-year Manchester Met Marketing Student graduating this year working in RED Jam alongside myself driving business development and marketing - hopefully if the business continues to generate leads I would like to be in a position to offer a more secure role after the internship 

Would you recommend a Degree Apprenticeship?

One word, “Absolutely”, the opportunity to apply your learning to real-world projects in the workplace has been by far one of the most significant benefits I have seen over the lifetime of my degree. Couple this with the fantastic networking opportunities that Manchester Met provide with other apprentices it will have a significant impact on you personally and your career.

Do you have any advice for future Degree Apprentices?

The one piece of advice I would give is to utilise the support and resources available to you, whether that is direct from the University or your cohort, there is so much support available before, during and after the course.

One final thought I am entirely grateful for the opportunities Manchester Met has given me over the last two years, which Is why I hope to give back something to them in the future; I have already made initial enquiries about options to teach, I am also offering coaching and mentoring to a couple of members of the current cohorts – Thanks Manchester Met.