STEM tutor Review

As a STEM apprenticeship tutor, I have an educational supportive role as well as a pastoral role. Within my role I conduct 10 week reviews, 5 week catch-ups and sporadic meetings depending upon the learner's needs. I assess work, such as written assignments, professional discussions and observations to find evidence of learner competency for their apprenticeship. I create course content for e-learning and live lessons, as well as supporting other tutors in doing so.

I have developed many new skills since starting my apprenticeship. I can now assess work against a standard and make assessment decisions. I have learnt how to use platforms such as Onefile and moodle, and how to use these to help my learners progress. I have grown in confidence since beginning my apprenticeship.

I enjoy the practical side of my programme, such as interacting with learners and creating course content. The team I work in are tight-knit and are very supportive of one another. The company culture is to keep improving ourselves and have fun whilst doing so. The job exceeds my expectations as my previous roles have been in companies where morale is low and there is a disconnect between the employes and management, whereas in this role every member of staff is genuinely valued.

My employer gave me a thorough induction into the company and spent the time introducing me to each member of the company and my team. As apprenticeship providers themselves, my employer understands the importance of off the job and allowing time and support to study. There is a clear hierarchy within the team.

My employers are very supportive of my apprenticeship, especially my mentor and training manager. Not only do they support me within my role but they also recognise opportunities where I can gain experience and demonstrate my competency, which is vital for my development. If I have any problems, even personal ones, they are happy to listen and offer advice. I can honestly say you would struggle to find a more supportive employer.

Communication with my training provider can be disjointed at times and the expectations they have of me are not always obvious. I disclosed to my tutor about some worries I had during my review and I felt they were not fully addressed and were instead skimmed over as they were in a rush. It is also often made obvious that our course is a lower priority than others which can be demotivating.

I think the qualification will help me eventually as we move on to the higher-level portion of the apprenticeship, but at the moment it is still early days and we have covered topics that I already knew about from e-learning during my employer's induction and the CAVA workshops. I am also doing the Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement with Crosby and think this has benefitted my role immensely as it has given me a better understanding of the assessment process as a whole and how I fit into it all.

Due to lockdown there haven't been many extra-curricular activities but the company does still hold online team activities and events to keep everyone engaged and feeling like part of a team. For example, we have held multiple quizzes, had presentations on Ramadan and held team challenges such as the steps challenge.

Yes

My employer is a great company to work for due to the high morale, the flexible workday, and the excitement of positively impacting the lives of many learners. I have already recommended some of my friends to apply for vacancies at my company as the job is so enjoyable and my colleagues are so friendly and easy to work with.

Before you apply make sure you are applying due to a genuine interest in apprenticeships and helping learners succeed. It is obvious to the interviewees if you are just applying just because you want a job! You need to have a strong backbone to deal with learners that are resistant to your help, whilst also being empathetic as learners will face hardships internal and external to their apprenticeship and will need your support and understanding. You will know your learners for nearly 2 years and will get attached to them very quickly and it will be a bittersweet moment when they pass the course and leave!