Higher Apprentice (Project Management) Review

As the project management apprentice within my sub-team, my duties include but not limited to: - Supporting the coordination of responses for the monthly Mayor's Question Time. - Providing logistic support for various events including past events such as the 63rd BFI London Film Festival, Mayor of London's Gala. - Managing and monitoring the team's contact database regularly. - Assisting with drafting grant agreements for funding to external partners. - Aiding with monitoring performance and financial management of projects via quarterly dashboard reporting.

I have improved on my interpersonal skills, and networking from working across multiple events and projects which include cross-policy and cross-organisational collaboration.

Pre-Covid, I enjoyed the travelling aspect of going to the training venues, taking a day out away from work to learn about my syllabus. When Covid-19 hit, we moved to online training, which was done via MS Teams, and was no different. I still felt supported in the same way I was supported in person.

The training days was spread out across the 18-24 months. Usually 1 per month for the first 12 months, then we had support session where we would go through topics where we was struggling in. At the start of the apprenticeship, the training provider showed us a timeline of when the classroom sessions would take place including my exam and end-point assessment.

My line manager, and colleague are very much still very supportive of me and my professional development. I have a good working relationship with my line manager where if I have any queries or concerns, I can openly and confidently disclose them.

Outside of the classroom sessions, my tutor would book in meetings to check on my progress, and see if I need any help or assistant with my studying. My tutor would also check in with my line manager and my organisation's HR team to bring them up to speed too.

I get to learn the theory in the classroom sessions, and bring what I learnt into practise through my skills, knowledge and behaviour when managing projects. It is a massive help and makes it clearly on why we use certain methodologies over others.

Pre-Covid, there was social events we use to attend as a team to get together outside a work setting. This would happen in smaller sub teams but also as a wider unit. You get to meet more colleagues that you wouldn't usually interact with on a usually basis.

Yes

I have learnt so much from my training provider. My tutor is very supportive, and adapts the learning style to sort your own. I managed to pass my APM PMQ with 74% and that was due to the amazing resources and guidance from my tutor.

Project Management is so varied and broad, that it can bring you into any field. Projects always need managing so there is always a need for Project Managers. If you like to see projects come to fruition then I think Project Management Apprenticeship is the way forward. Also learning, while you earn is a bonus.