Chartered Manager Degree Apprentice Review

I work at Nestle as a Chartered Manager Degree Apprentice which involves rotating around 4 different areas of the business, these include sales, marketing, supply chain and CCSD, whilst completing a professional practice in management degree at Sheffield Hallam University. I am currently working in my marketing placement which involves a variety of project work such as new product launches, managing a marketing budget, analysing market data to see how my brand is performing and working on campaigns such as TV, social media, radio and print.

I have learnt lots of new skills whilst taking part in the chartered manager degree apprenticeship scheme. Some of these include presentation skills, learning how to communicate with a variety of stakeholders, data analysis, time management, project management. Nestle as a company is very interested in their employees' personal development and growth so offer a variety of training courses and materials to develop your skills.

I really enjoy working at Nestle and the degree apprenticeship programme was ideal for me as I didn't know what I wanted to do with my career and wasn't sure what I wanted to study at university. This programme allowed me to work in a large company and gain critical experiences whilst also completing a degree at the same time. I have been able to work with so many different people and develop my networking skills as well as finding out what area of the business I am passionate about.

The programme is very structured as over two years, you rotate around four different six month placements and then in your final year, you get to choose the area you want to work in e.g. marketing for 12 months. You attend university every six weeks for a block release where you study an entire module and then have an assignment to complete after.

Throughout my three years on the scheme, I received excellent support from Nestle as line managers are very aware of the fact that we have university work to complete alongside our day to day job. As part of the scheme we have to take 20% off the job which allows us to learn new skills or complete assignments in working hours. Nestle also has different mentor and coaching programmes where you can get additional support if needed. You will also have a "buddy" when joining the business who can help with any questions.

As we attend university in block weeks, the support can vary. The weeks are always planned out and you are sent the schedule ahead of the university week so you are aware of what you will be learning and what pre work is needed. During the university week, the support is great as you are with a teacher all week. However when we leave university and have to write the assignments, the only contact/support we have is over email which can be tricky.

As the degree is in professional practice in management, we cover different modules ranging from sales and marketing, finance, supply chain etc which all directly relate to the different areas of the business. Some modules relate more directly to specific roles for example the business strategy module helps you to understand the wider business environment and different models that Nestle use. We are usually asked to link our assignments to Nestle which is great as you are able to apply your learning to your job and give real life examples.

Nestle is a very social place to work and there is always lots to get involved in. For example in Purina, we have sports and social club and this involves different events and this has carried on in the virtual world. Nestle often has a lot of offsite team days which include going to Brighton, London etc and there is a social element after. For example for our Christmas party, we went to Puttshack in London which is an indoor mini golf place. Nestle also offers all employees' two volunteering days a year which can be used however you would like. Within the Nestle academy, young employees' are encouraged to take part in the campus team events such as school visits and hosting open evenings. Nestle also hosts a lot of "Lunch and Learn" sessions where you learn about a different topic whilst networking with people.

Yes

I would definitely recommend Nestle to a friend as it is a great place to work with lots of development opportunities. Nestle as an employer really cares about your personal development and growth and offers you different opportunities to achieve these such as working in a different function to gain new experiences to even working abroad! Working on the CMDA scheme is also great as you meet lots of young people and make friends with everyone. Also a massive perk of working at Nestle is that you can even bring your dog into the office!!

I would definitely recommend taking your time with your application and not rushing it as it is a long process which involves online tests. Nestle's motto is "be yourself because everyone else is taken" so be true to yourself when applying. At the assessment centre stage be friendly, chatty and approachable, it can be nerve wracking but try to enjoy the day as it is a great experience. Also it is a great chance to ask any questions you may have. Sometimes older apprentices will attend the assessment centres so you can ask them about their own experiences which is really helpful.