Nationwide degree apprentices: studying “sparks creativity and innovation”

Troy Bryan, a Project Manager at Nationwide Building Society, is in his third and final year of the Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship (CMDA) at Cranfield University – a Dual Accredited programme that also awards students with a BSc (Hons) in Business and Management. 

Krissy Morgan, a Team Leader at the organisation, is currently in her second year of the same programme. The pair joined us on a call to share their experiences of the degree apprenticeship. Here are some of the highlights – from initial fears to lessons learned and the impact of their studies.

A leap of faith

Troy Bryan (TB): At the time I was leaving school, nobody in my family had been to university, so it never crossed my mind. I knew the CMDA would be a lot of work, and challenging as a mature student with only GCSEs, but I also thought it could give me the strategic edge and formal credibility necessary to operate at the highest levels of the organisation.

Krissy Morgan (KM): At first, I was apprehensive about how I’d balance family life, studying Spanish and my responsibilities as a team leader. But I saw it as an opportunity to continue my professional development and take the next step in my career. 

I often doubted myself, thinking others were more qualified. But by focusing on the end goal, completing my assessment and earning my degree, I overcame those fears. The opportunity to achieve something I’d always wanted became my driving force.

The learnings

KM: Every time I go to a class, I learn something new. I’m a successful team leader, and I've always had high-performing teams, but it’s not necessarily backed up with theory. For example, we’re doing a change management module. I’ve done change management for many years and feel confident in it. But now I really understand why you need good communication, planning and visualisation, and why you need to follow up on quick wins. 

TB: A noticeable change for me is the move from unconscious competence to conscious competence. I now feel equipped to make more considered decisions, based on models, data insights, a holistic perspective and the business impact.

A big element for me has been learning about corporate finance. Since my finance module, I’ve been able to manage one of the top ten strategic programmes at Nationwide, making sure we spent the money correctly and demonstrating financial stewardship of a major investment. 

There’s also the focus on reflection. In our last assignment, the brief was to look deeply at who we are and where we want to go. That inward understanding and the focus on personal governance has been a key component throughout.

Early on, I also received some mentoring from CMI’s Chief Executive, Ann Francke OBE CMgr CCMI. We talked about the credibility to reach the next level of influence. She was very clear: it’s about focus, resilience and getting your job done – plus self-awareness, empathy and purpose. She shared insights from her own career regarding structuring major change and communication delivery, which helped me refine my own approach.