Apprentice Grants Assistant Review

My role chiefly involves administrating the business and finance of research projects. The day-to-day activities range from setting up costings for prospective applications for grant funding, to moving project funds and expenditure in line with business need, liaising with researchers and principal investigators, plus various administrative activities for my team, such as ordering items of IT equipment and events.

I have learnt new skills in customising and running reports, and fundamentals of finance and project management such as understanding and administrating a purchase-to-pay system. I have also developed my abilities in organising my workload, as well as improving my people and communication skills in areas such as email etiquette, giving regular updates, managing expectations and using the most appropriate method of communication.

I enjoy most aspects of my programme, as I find it interesting to see how the principles learnt in the college course intersect with my experience in the workplace, where I can practise applying them. Within the workplace, it is very rewarding to contribute to facilitating scientific/medical research, to hear about the research activity of the department and to be reminded regularly that the department could not be nearly as successful without my team's activities. I enjoy learning the particular aspects of financial and project management, as well as gaining broad business and administrative knowledge and experience, which process my teammates and my college Assessor are happy and well able to support me with.

My programme is organised quite well, managing to keep all necessary aspects going despite having to adjust to disturbances such as moving to a hybrid (part-remote, part-in-person) style and staff changes. Certain aspects of the college classes could have been managed better, as it was sometimes necessary to change classrooms multiple times in a day, and the building was often very cold, however the college also allocated me an excellent Training Coordinator and Assessor who have supported me attentively, answered my questions and listened to my feedback, so overall I think the programme is quite well organised.

My employer is quite supportive towards my apprenticeship, giving me learning opportunities quite regularly as well as time to complete my assignments. This does vary according to business need and availability. My managers are good at checking in with me to make sure that I feel confident in my tasks and in general, and are always willing to provide or purchase items that I might need. I also receive a good level of support from my teammates, and enjoy my interactions with them.

I have regular meetings with my Training Coordinator and Assessor to review my progress and set new targets. They have both been attentive to my knowledge and skill levels, asking me about how I found the college course and my workplace, and whether I feel supported from all sides. My Assessor in particular has been very good at explaining the structure of the qualifications, breaking down what I need to do and how I can achieve it.

I feel that most of the business principles learnt in the qualification course are quite applicable in the context of my role to a greater or lesser degree. Many of the pieces of knowledge I picked up help me to understand why certain functions have to be carried out, what my skills are and how my role contributes to the team's success.

I have attended some events such as a Christmas lunch and party, professional networking events such as all-day seminars and inter-team informal lunches with Business managers and Finance staff, tea/coffee and cake sessions, and lunchtime seminars aimed at the department's professional services staff, to entertain and inform. I enjoy these events, despite not being a natural at networking, as the less formal atmosphere helps me feel more confident in getting to know my colleagues and what their roles entail. There could be more opportunities to socialise outside of the workplace, but the standard of the workplace events is good.

Yes

The University is a very large institution with lots of diverse areas, so there are always opportunities opening for moving roles, training and attending events that are going on. Besides this, the University is also able to easily provide facilities such as IT equipment and good at offering flexible working arrangements.

My advice would be to have a good look across the many roles on offer to find the best fit for you, to ask about the work duties and culture, and also routes for progression. The University is very keen on training its staff, so don't worry if you're unfamiliar with parts of your role, emphasise your commitment and interest in learning and developing your skills. The University is a massive organisation that's difficult to fully understand, with a globally renowned reputation, which can be daunting, but don't be put off, as you can grow into the role and gain understanding over time, which can be challenging but makes things interesting!