Associate Project Manager Review

In my current role of Business Improvement lead I am responsible for leading and delivering change that will result in increased performance and customer experience. My daily tasks involve holding regular discussions with various stakeholders across the area to shape and progress various change initiatives, working with front line management to ensure change lands effectively through business readiness. Creating project plans and project updates for various stakeholders.

I have recently completed my Associate Project Management Level 4 apprenticeship qualification at Distinction level as well as my APM Project Management exams. I learnt a lot during my apprenticeship around how to succesfully manage projects which has helped me greatly in my current role. In my role i have developed skills particularly when talking to various stakeholders which has helped my confidence grow.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time on my apprenticeship, I was already a member of the company so the culture didnt really change but the experience was great. My apprenticeship course really matched my role in the organisation so i was able to put my learnings into practice, the team i was in were really supportive and I felt encouraged to progress

I had mixed feelings about the course although the negatives were more on the part of the college as opposed to the company. I felt i was receiving a lot of help all the way through my course, i was given plenty of time and support to complete my studies and mentors were easily accessible. My only negative comment came towards the end of my course because a lot of the work i was expected to complete in a small amount of time to complete my portfolio could have been done throughout the programme when the topics were fresh, or provided as 'to-do's' that i could complete when working on a project that provided opportunity. Instead i found myself looking back at work trying to make things fit which at times felt like unnecessary pressure and provided examples i was less confident in.

My support during the programme was excellent from my leadership team. my manager was extremely supportive and the entire leadership team showed a constant interest in what i was working on. Support and tasks were provided that would support me on my learning journey and mentors were readily available and eager to help.

My training provider was really supportive throughout the programme, my Tutor was great and guided me through all aspects of the course thoroughly, the online tools and support were really relevant and easy to access and i felt supported all the way through. As previously mentioned my only issue would be the structure could have been tweaked slightly in terms of portfolio building to avoid that feeling of being rushed at the end.

I thoroughly believe that my qualifications have helped me perform a lot better at my role. Previously i had a small understanding of how to progress a project, however the course taught me how to progress this at every stage, i now have high confidence that i can manage projects of all scales in an effective manner.

A lot of the face to face activities have been on hold since the pandemic but prior to that there were various groups that i was aware of who used to meet from time to time. These were activities such as squash, exercise bootcamps, as well as walking groups. There are lots of virtual groups to be involved in that support people in work and personal aspects from parenting groups to mental health and networking groups.

Yes

I have worked for the organisation for 15 years and although they have recently been through tough times where some difficult decisions have had to be made and many redundancies have taken place the organisation still creates that feeling of pride i have had since i started. I have confidence in the leadership teams and they genuinely do care about their employees.

My advice would be to plan your future and continue to develop yourself. The organisation has a huge amount of opportunity for anybody that wants to take it. People joining at entry level can develop themselves quite easily and start a career path that will lead to them gaining high profile roles and gaining strong qualifications if they desire to. There isnt the culture of requiring degrees and high level qualifications to progress within the business so dont feel like you are unable to have a highly paid and rewarding career without them.