Team Leader Review

Level 3 Retail apprenticeship - Through the business gain additional knowledge of a higher role in the hopes to progress my career. During my working hours and outside of traditional shift patterns I go out of my way to learn new skills and how best to apply them to my current workplace environment

Communication techniques and coaching skills have given me better tools to train my existing and new colleagues. The importance of networking in my line of business has on growth and development. The use of terra maps has when dealing with colleagues and customers alike and the best way to use these individuals to generate greater productivity

The programme has not been the most enjoyable or straightforward of apprenticeships. The conferences have been excellent but the lack of support and motivation from my module co-ordinators has made navigating OneFile very hard indeed. The work we are set is sometimes repetitive and not practical so it almost seems like an uphill struggle to complete.

Very poorly structured. There has been no cohesive plan throughout this apprenticeship. No progression in terms of work load and the contact between apprentice and module co-ordinator has been too far and few between. With often scheduled meetings or phone calls being skipped entirely. OneFile is also a poor system with many pit falls

Very little support. I’ve asked them to give me more job responsibilities and involve me in more managerial workload but it never seems to be the right time or I’m told I don’t need to know certain things. Just the negative attitude towards my development is a bad influence on my progression

Very little if anything. My training provider gives me often outdated and non practical courses and the coursework being set often has no relevance to my current position. The level of interaction between myself and my learning co-ordinator is minimal at best. I would like to hear from them more often than every three months

The learning conferences have been very useful and practical and I can use the knowledge gained from these sessions to my advantage going forward however the qualification as a whole unit has been very underwhelming at best. Non practical skills and information which sometimes is quite outdated is not very useful.

There is plenty of opportunities to complete additional activities through the workplace. Visiting other stores and giving them my assistance or helping out with our charity connections has proved to be the most beneficial to my development going forward. I hope to continue to do these tasks after I have completed my apprenticeship.

No

The co-operative group has been a big part of my life for several years. Over that time I have made countless friends through the business and have always seen the detrimental affects of working in retail force them to seek employment elsewhere. I would tell my friends to seek employment elsewhere first.

I would tell them to carefully research their job role before completing any applications or job interviews to ensure that they have a basic understanding of what will be expected of them and how beat to present themselves to their potential employers. Also I’d tell them to look elsewhere first.