Georgia’s Apprenticeship Journey
My name is Georgia and I’m a HR Administrator at Suffolk GP Federation. I started my HR Support Level 3 apprenticeship with Blue Sky in February 2019 and have recently completed it in July 2020.
What does your role involve?
I provide administrative support and HR advice for our 14 healthcare services alongside my manager and colleague. This involves assisting in recruitment, preparing HR documents, creating reports, monitoring data compliance and answering employee or manager queries. I also get involved in HR projects and initiatives.
What was the apprenticeship process like?
I found the apprenticeship structure was a great way to learn and improve my skills within HR. It was a structured process with monthly catch up calls, quarterly group meetings and assignments which kept me on track. It was slightly overwhelming at first as my knowledge wasn’t developed of HR or my organisation, but as I learnt more throughout the course and listened to other apprentices, I felt more confident about the process and what I was aiming towards.
A lot of the learning was based upon what I was currently working on within my role and the focuses of HR within my organisation which I feel is a unique benefit to doing an apprenticeship. I was able to gain valuable insight from other learners and the trainers about challenges I was facing or areas I wanted to develop which I really benefited from.
What is the best thing you’ve learnt?
I’ve learnt so much throughout my apprenticeship but I definitely feel the confidence I’ve gained is the greatest outcome, apart from the actual qualification! I’ve gained confidence in my knowledge of HR which has enabled me to grow within my role as well as just confidence in myself.
What are you most proud about?
I’m really proud of passing my apprenticeship and everything it has enabled me to do within my workplace. Throughout the apprenticeship I’ve completed a lot of projects, including my end point project, which I don’t feel I would have had the knowledge to do otherwise. I know I have made a positive impact within my role which is very rewarding.
What would your advice be for those considering an apprenticeship?
I definitely recommend taking on an apprenticeship if you have the opportunity to do so. It’s a flexible way to learn about your chosen area and you can learn in a way which really fits with your role and organisation. Definitely make sure you put the time and effort into your learning throughout. Also utilise the resources you have available to get the most out of the experience.
What are your next learning steps?
I don’t have any further courses planned at the moment. I will continually use the learning methods I’ve picked up throughout my apprenticeship to further my professional development. If I do choose to do a Level 5 CIPD qualification, I will definitely consider doing this via an apprenticeship route.
Georgia
Suffolk GP Federation
Published 16/10/2020 & Filed in Blue Sky Blog