Governance Manager Review

I work in Governance, where I get involved in a host of different activities supporting the Commercial, Finance and Legal Teams. The role covers Risk Management, Data Protection, Insurance, Bidding and Business Development, Intellectual Property. Day to day means getting involved with a host of business priorities that change depending on the strategy and business requirements. We are focussed on ensuring that we achieve full compliance with the operating model and keep the business safe.

In terms of technical skills, I have been involved with contract and commercial management, understanding and delivering the full life cycle of our contracts. I have built a good level of legal knowledge through frequent interface with our General Counsel. My competencies within risk awareness and management has grown through my involvement in administering our Group process. In terms of soft skills, the role has allowed me to independently solve complex problems through establishing good governance processes. I have developed in terms of communication and collaboration to meet the needs of the business while working in a remote environment.

I thoroughly enjoy my programme because no two days are the same. I am empowered to make decisions about what I work on and how I develop. I am supported throughout by Mentors and Line Managers who undertake training on what Graduates need in their placements and permanent roles. I get exciting opportunities to try out new things, develop competencies and get hands on experience across our business.

My programme is structured reasonably well, however a lot of the onus is on apprentices to ensure that they get the most from their experience. When I commenced the programme, there was little structure to Graduate Placements, and this has now been improved to provide experience in functions, operations and business development. The organisation is strong and points of contact for any issues are well known across the business.

I receive a reasonably good amount of support from my employer. My Line Manager is very supportive of my apprenticeship and encourages me often to take time for study. The Learning and Development Team seek feedback regularly on the programme, open to hear any constructive feedback to improve the programme. Sometimes it can be difficult to take enough time to complete the programme as this should be around 20% of the work week. Time management is vital.

I receive good support from the training provider when working towards qualifications. There are two dedicated account leads, who make themselves available for questions or concerns. We receive core reading in the post prior to the commencement of modules, which means that we can organise ourselves appropriately and know what to expect from training.

My qualification helps me to perform better in my role because it instigates new conversations and critical thinking around the 'status-quo' in my organisation. The apprenticeship learning outcomes are effective for self-reflection, and for seeking new opportunities to support in professional development. It provides good grounds for getting involved in exciting and interesting projects which apprentices may not have usually had a chance to become involved with.

There have not many extra-curricular activities to be involved with in my organisation. With that said, over the last year I have seen the introduction of new networks (e.g. neurodiversity, pride) which indicates that the company is moving toward this soon. The organisation is usually open to new ideas for events or teams.

Yes

I would recommend my organisation to a friend because there are many development opportunities and the organisation is excellent at finding employees' strengths and leveraging them. The organisation supports development opportunities through apprenticeships and other qualifications. The organisation is becoming more diverse and is expanding into new markets and geographies.

My main advice for anyone applying to my organisation is to assess your strengths and weaknesses and know what you want from the role. How can I leverage my strengths to ensure that I am continually developing in this area? How can I work on my weaknesses and what new skills can I develop? Once you have a good self-reflection, there are many ways to develop this further.