Higher Apprentice Project Manager Review

As a Higher Apprentice Project Manager I work closely with a Project Manager within my team, this can involve: sitting in on virtual/in person meetings, meeting minutes, attending site as well as visiting other sites to see project progress and helping the Project manager with their work such as completing stakeholder analysis'.

Since starting my role the biggest skill I have developed has been my communication, both with my peers/colleagues but with contractors and customers too. Internal training courses have provided me with knowledge of site safety and first aid, and external courses have taught me the content of the APM qualification I will be receiving at the end of my course.

At times I have felt that my workload is low, however this has been fixed by being proactive and seeking other work to get involved in. The team and the work culture is extremely friendly and any new people that you meet will be more than happy to help you.

Induction was set out clearly and I was given a full schedule for the week, and my training programme is set out for the year ahead providing me with the dates and times of training courses. I am given plenty of time to revise and study for the qualification of my course, away from my day-to-day tasks, and mentors are assigned based on who works most closely with you.

My line manager is my first point of contact for any support, they are very accommodating when you need to contact them, if they are busy they will find time to talk with you. The HR team is great and there are dedicated assistance phone lines to help deal with any problems you may have.

I am assigned an educator who I have regular meetings with to answer any questions I may have and to discuss the course and the tasks that are set. They are very accommodating when I am not able to make a training day and will seek other ways of providing the training for me.

The content of the qualification provides me with the knowledge I need to work on a day-to-day basis, in some cases it enables me to further understand an area I may be working on. Everything I learn for my qualification is used within my job role, and I feel that I know more about my role and industry than I did previously.

Due to Covid face to face team events had been cancelled, however more recently we have been able to have our first team event including a team building activity. This enabled me to network with the wider members of my team. Additionally there are plenty of opportunities to attend volunteering work all other the country.

Yes

The company is extremely accommodating and provides you with training and resources to succeed in your role and career. National Grid provides a competitive salary and a fantastic benefits package that sets you up comfortably for your future career. Most important the people are friendly and are always there to offer support when you need it!

During your interview/assessment day if you are given a question or scenario on the spot just ask for a minute to think about it to produce an answer rather than panicking and saying you don't have an answer. Most importantly however, be proactive and seek other opportunities within your team to develop your skills and grow as a person.