Plant Health & Seed Inspector Review

I work in biosecurity, inspecting plant material that comes in and out of the country to identify non-native pests and disease that could cause harm to our native plants and crops. I am also responsible for managing a team of field inspectors and supporting them in their day to day duties.

During my apprenticeship I have learnt a host of new management and leadership skills. I have learned more about conducting difficult conversations and giving feedback in an effective way. I've also learned a lot about project management and the tools involved. I have also enhanced a number of my existing skills such as time management and organisation.

I have enjoyed the apprenticeship more than expected. The workshops have been really beneficial, giving opportunities to discuss ideas with other people outside of your team, and to hear and learn from their experiences. It has been encouraging to discuss areas that I see are my weaknesses in management, and hearing from others that they often feel the same way, and then working together to come up with solutions to these problems.

I have found my apprenticeship to be well structured. We have had monthly workshops which last for a day. They are hosted by a coach who woks through learning material with us and allows us to break off into break out rooms to discuss the learning. Each workshop is followed by a number of assignments to complete which are relevant to the material covered. There are also a lot of resources provided by Raise the Bar to assist with the assignments and to prepare for the next workshop.

My employer has been extremely supportive throughout my apprenticeship. They allow me to dedicate a full work day each week to working on apprenticeship assignments, and help to cover my existing workload to ensure I can set aside time to work on my assignments without distractions. They have also been happy for me to use an extra day for my assignments when necessary to meet deadlines and balance my workload. They have shown interest in my apprenticeship and have attended meetings with my coach when required.

Raise the Bar have provided excellent support with working towards my qualifications. My coach has always understood that I have a full time job alongside the apprenticeship so has moved my deadlines when required to enable me to keep a balance between my job and my apprenticeship. They have also been encouraging and offered support and advice when I've need extra guidance with some of the assignments.

I feel that my apprenticeship has helped and is continuing to help me perform better in my role as a manager. I was new to management when I started this apprenticeship and it has given me tools and techniques to use to help with a range of different management situations. It has also helped build my confidence as a manager by giving me the opportunity to engage with managers in other departments during our workshops.

There are extra-curricular activities to get involved with at my work. The Civil Service has a range of cross-governmental networks to get involved with, along with sports teams, and training and networking events. I recently attended a Civil Service leadership conference which gave me the opportunity to network with other civil servants outside of my department.

Yes

I would recommend Animal and Plant Health Agency to a friend because it is a very welcoming and friendly agency, within Defra. They emphasise the importance of wellbeing and encourage you and support you in looking after your own, and your team's, wellbeing. The work is varied and interesting, and culture with in APHA is very positive.

Advice I would give to others applying to Animal and Plant Health Agency would be to take as many of the opportunities as you can to get involved with the many different work areas, as there are a range of different roles covered by field inspectors within APHA, so embrace all opportunities to learn.