In celebration of National Apprenticeship Week 2025, we are delighted to introduce two of our Management Apprentices – Leanne and Matthew. We love sharing the reflections of our apprentices because not only does it illuminate the personal development journey that their apprenticeship has taken them on, but it helps to demystify the fantastic opportunity that the modern apprenticeships system represents for supporting the development of existing and experienced staff.
First up, it’s Matthew!
Name: Matthew Riddell
Employer: The National Lottery Community Fund
Role: Contract Manager
Apprenticeship: Level 5 Operations Manager
Hi Matthew! Firstly, what motivated you to pursue the apprenticeship programme?
I wanted to broaden my skillset in operational management. Specifically, I was interested in the people management and development aspects of the programme as I don’t presently manage a team of people.
Could you describe your experience throughout the apprenticeship programme? Which modules or aspects of the programme did you find most valuable or impactful?
I enjoyed some of the early modules that focused on self-awareness and later in the course I enjoyed the leading people module. The two, combined, made me think about emotional intelligence, behaviour and working styles. I was able to apply some of this when conducting coaching sessions as part of the module 7 skills tasks.
How would you describe the level of support you received during the apprenticeship?
Excellent. The tutors were really thorough and the Eliesha support team responded to my queries promptly.
How has completing the apprenticeship programme impacted your career progression or prospects? Have you noticed any changes personally and/or professionally since completing the programme?
Whilst I have not changed role since I started the course, I am able to apply some of the learning in my day to day work. The course has given me confidence in what I do and how I go about my business.
Were there any challenges you faced during the apprenticeship, and how did you overcome them?
There are certain stages of the course which are busy and this required a lot of careful time management. I’ve had to be disciplined about blocking out the 20% of time needed to keep on track of the work. Frequent check ins with my manager , the Eliesha team and course colleagues has been useful.
Looking back, what has been the most rewarding aspect of the apprenticeship programme for you?
Getting to the end point assessment stage. Seems obvious but at the beginning it seemed like a mountain to climb. The course is broken down into manageable chunks and just keeping on top of each task and not falling behind has been key to getting to this stage in the course.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone currently enrolled or considering enrolling in this apprenticeship, what would it be?
Be sure to have the support of your manager before starting the course and commit to blocking out time and keeping up with the coursework.
Name: Leanne Harper
Employer: Changing Lives
Role: Service Manager
Apprenticeship: Level 5 Operations Manager
Hi Leanne! Firstly, what motivated you to pursue the apprenticeship programme?
I started at the same time as taking on my new role as a manager, I did this to improve my skills and gain knowledge.
Could you describe your experience throughout the apprenticeship programme? Which modules or aspects of the programme did you find most valuable or impactful?
Each module has been relevant to my role and has taught me new skills which i have been able to apply.
How would you describe the level of support you received during the apprenticeship?
Support has been great throughout.
How has completing the apprenticeship programme impacted your career progression or prospects? Have you noticed any changes personally and/or professionally since completing the programme?
I have grown in confidence both within my role and personally whilst on the course.
Were there any challenges you faced during the apprenticeship, and how did you overcome them?
I sometimes found it difficult to manage the workload, especially at times when I was busy at work.
(N.B. see below for reflections on how Leanne overcame this challenge!)
Looking back, what has been the most rewarding aspect of the apprenticeship programme for you?
Gaining new skills and confidence as a manger.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone currently enrolled or considering enrolling in this apprenticeship, what would it be?
Go for it! It will help you to be a better manager.
Any further insights/ experiences/ feedback you would like to share?
At times it has been hard to balance workload with my studies, however the further into my course I have gone, the easier this has become, blocking out time to ensure I am up to date with course work.
This course has been the driving force behind my development as a service manager. I started at the same time I took on my role and have continued to learn and more importantly implement my learning into the service and with my team. I really feel that it has helped me to develop and grow within my role and enabled me to look at what it means to be a leader, who supports others in their growth and development.
To read previous interviews with our management apprenticeships you can click here and here. We’ve also spoken to apprentices’ line managers for their reflections about programme success and we’ve interviewed employers for their views about using management apprenticeships from the internal stakeholder perspective. Here, you will also find an exploration of perhaps the most consistent personal change reported by our learners – increased confidence.
Our Management Apprenticeship FAQs can be found here, and click the links below to download our Prospective Learner Brochures at either Level 3 or 5.
We would love to help you take advantage of the Management Apprenticeship opportunity – send us an email or place an enquiry here to get started!
