Why a Senior Leadership Apprenticeship has been life-changing (and made me a better manager)

I never thought that, as I entered my 50th year, I would be completing my second apprenticeship. After a varied career in retail, travel and tourism, insurance, and education, I thought I was too old to do an apprenticeship.

Let me start at the beginning. I began working at age 15 in a major supermarket, followed by a bookshop and then a hotel. I liked working due to the independence it gave me, the learning and because it aligned with my interests. 

At 21, I received my degree in international tourism and was ready to get a job. However, after applying for many, I ended up at a large insurance company. It was not what I wanted, but I made it work. 

Life takes over

At the insurance company, I held a variety of marketing, e-commerce, events and project roles, learning as much as I could in each department before moving on. I supported a digital trading strategy (just as e-commerce was starting up), marketing campaigns, corporate events and regulatory change projects. There were plenty of opportunities to attend in-house training sessions. This is where I got my first taste of management – and I liked it. 

Then life took over – marriage, a daughter – and I chose to be a stay-at-home mum. I loved this and decided on a career change, so I went back to college on an evening course and retrained in children’s care, learning and development. 

I secured a job in a primary school as a one-to-one teaching assistant but soon took on more and worked in the school office, too. I started to manage certain areas of the school and felt that management itch again. 

After nine years, I decided to move on. I joined York St John University in 2019 in a school admin role. When a job came up in finance with an apprenticeship attached to it, I applied and, to my surprise, I was successful. In my first month I was enrolled on an apprenticeship in Procurement and Supply at Level 4. 

I soon discovered I loved the topic and the apprenticeship route. I was able to do my job four days a week and study one day. I learnt the theory and then was able to put it into practice. I continued through Levels 5 and 6, and then on to Chartered status with the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply via self-study.