Apprentice Project Manager Review

Within my role, I oversee the delivery of business change to help DLG “revolutionise insurance again”! This involves working alongside a wide range of people across the business, understanding the different ways of working that are bespoke to each area of the business and a LOT of planning to ensure DLG’s objectives are met.

The most important skills I have learnt include: getting familiar with basic office skills: checking emails, organising calendars and setting up meetings (the things we don’t get taught at school). Everything else fits into place once you have the basic skills nailed down! I have also been able to develop my time management, communication and understanding of a real-life business environment.

My programme is great as it allows me to understand myself, my natural strengths and qualities, and gives me the opportunity to develop these qualities further and push myself to the next level! I do not regret choosing an apprenticeship over university, however sometimes I feel as though I am missing out on making lots of different friends from all over the country – however DLG have offices across the nation that I visit on a regular basis, I now have lots friends in London, Bristol and Glasgow!

At the beginning of my apprenticeship course, a high level structure had been mapped out. However this did not align to the content I was learning on the course and the timescales had never been put into practice. It was a bit unknown at the beginning as I was one of the first PM apprentices at Direct Line so we had to adapt/flex the structure pragmatically throughout the two year journey to improve the structure. Once I raised concerns about the structure, the people managers did everything they could to put things right. It is now in a better place and I will be involved with planning the structure for our 2019 PM apprentices, using my experience to create a seamless process for the new intake.

Direct Line as a whole provide a moderate amount of support, sometimes I feel as though the higher apprentices do not receive as much guidance as the apprentices in larger volume areas. There have been times when I have had to contact the learning provider personally to address issues, upon reflection I now feel like the company should have been responsible for that kind of engagement. However, my business area within Direct Line are extremely supportive. We have 2 apprentices, including me, so a lot of time has been dedicated to supporting our personal development. My line manager, especially, is so supportive of my professional development and he is constantly keeping me on track to becoming the best Project Manager I can be!

My qualification is based on an online portal with tasks and videos to ensure the content is embedded. I really like the style of independent learning however I have gone months without receiving any interaction with my training provider which I think is unacceptable. The induction received from the provider was insufficient and the person delivering the induction did not mention the criteria required to pass the course. I found out about the 3 hour exam and end-point assessment about 5 months into the course, this should have been addressed on the first day! I have raised several concerns with the provider myself that have been resolved, however more support is required throughout the course with both the apprentice and the business to ensure everyone is aligned.

The theory content allows me to understand many key elements of my role, it is an industry recognised qualification. The course layout on the online portal is great, I have my exam booked in for the end of April and over the past few months our training provider has organised webinars to revise content and answer any questions which I have found really helpful as it helps me with my own personal revision.

Mid-way through my course, my training provider got in touch and invited me to become an apprentice ambassador for the APM network. Through this network I have been given the opportunity to deliver talks in schools/colleges, help schools plan out their own projects and I have also met a number of apprentice PMs via professional networking events.

Yes

The best thing about DLG is definitely the people, everyone is great to work with and always willing to provide support and guidance where needed. DLG has a very friendly working environment and a great culture that promotes mental health awareness. A lot of work goes on behind the scenes to ensure everyone feels comfortable enough to be themselves at work – I think its important for people know they can speak out when they are not feeling themselves.

Go for it! Direct Line is a great company to work for, they offer an amazing work-life balance and are always making sure the people can be the best they can be. They also have lots of opportunities for both apprentices and graduates that will set up young people for a long-term career in this company.