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Apprenticeships

Apprenticeship programmes help learners to develop their skills and gain a qualification without the usual financial strain that other education paths have. One apprentice that benefitted greatly from apprenticeships is Samantha Burrett, a Level 4 School Business Professional from Trinity Academy. Here is her story: 

“After joining a school as a Receptionist/Administrator, I quickly moved on to become the Admissions Officer and completed a school administration foundation course and wasn’t sure where I wanted to go from there. After having some coaching, I realised that I wanted to head towards becoming a School Business Manager, so this course seemed the perfect first step to achieve my goal. 

I have a family and a house to run, so going back into any form of education is something that I had to really think about and discuss. The financial issues that it brings meant going into full time education wasn’t really an option and after discussing it with my line manager, it was agreed that the school would pay for me to complete a course. I found a course that I could do as part time, however shortly after the trust that my school is a part of announced they were offering apprenticeships, that you could take on alongside of your current role. They had a School Business Professional apprenticeship which was just what I wanted to do. 

For me, the biggest benefit it has to be financial, as I can continue to work full time which doesn’t put a strain on my family. Also, time, as I am not going to a college or have virtual meetings on evenings, so I still have time with my family. Lastly, I can pull knowledge from peers and my line manager to help with tasks. 

I have only been doing my apprenticeship for 3 months, but I have already felt that I know more about some things than I thought I did, and it has highlighted where/what I need to work on and find out about. 

I love that my role has many aspects to it, no two days are the same. I am a good multitasker and problem solver, which all works very well in my current role. 

I have been very supported so far on this programme. My mentor in work is our School Business Manager, who I work alongside and is always happy to help or guide me in the right direction. I couldn’t have asked for a better tutor; she is understanding when things get busy and guides me through what is expected with realistic expectations. Also, I have great colleagues who will help and my family. 

I have found that doing a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis regularly really helps with looking at where I am and what I need to think about or work on. It has also helped me to think about what great resources I have around me. 

As an Admissions and Marketing Officer, I have helped the school by making sure we have the right number of students enrolled at the school, via fair means and so that we have the correct data for our census. I am able to quickly offer places out to students that need them in a timely fashion to make sure pupils are not out of education for long periods. Within my marketing role, I have helped with starting a sixth form by advertising and creating a nice place for them to be, as well as boosting our presence via social media. 

After this programme, I will start to look at what opportunities there are within my trust to either become a School Business Manager, or a position that will lead me there.” 

Best of luck in the future Samantha! 

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