Apprentice feedback

When I changed career, I spent months applying to jobs but not being successful as I did not have a qualification linked to my career change and only limited relevant experience.

Thankfully, I found the vacancy for an apprenticeship at Bracknell Forest Council which allowed me to gain both a qualification and experience. When joining the council, I also benefited from a very knowledgeable team which meant I could develop and learn so much more.

I am so glad that I completed my apprenticeship at Bracknell Forest Council and I am fortunate to now have a permanent position here. In future I plan to complete a further apprenticeship too!

I have never been particularly academic and hold only entry-level qualifications. While this has not prevented me from being ambitious or striving to build a successful career, it has meant that I have not had a specific specialist area to develop.

When I was first given the opportunity to undertake this apprenticeship, I was doubtful about whether I would be able to manage the workload alongside my day-to-day responsibilities, particularly as I have always found formal education challenging. However, the support from both Bracknell Forest Council and Kingdom Academy has been excellent.

The workshops are highly informative and provide the knowledge required to complete the assignments, while also allowing you to apply and develop your skills and behaviours in a live work setting alongside your role.

I would strongly encourage anyone looking to challenge themselves and grow professionally to seriously consider undertaking an apprenticeship.

Completing the Level 7 Senior Leadership Apprenticeship has been a genuinely positive experience for me. It allowed me to step back from day to day pressures, reflect on how I lead, and apply new learning directly to real challenges at work.

I have grown in confidence, developed a more strategic mindset, and gained skills that I use every day.

I am genuinely grateful for the opportunity provided by the council, as without their support I would not have been able to undertake the apprenticeship.

I would encourage anyone considering an apprenticeship to take the opportunity. It is a practical and rewarding way to develop while continuing to build your career.

My manager's support throughout my apprenticeship was outstanding - always approachable, encouraging and committed to helping me succeed.

The same goes for the team leaders who guided me during my time within their teams. They helped shape my development and provided incredible encouragement and guidance.

My apprenticeship afforded me an amazing opportunity to dive right into the action and learn on the job.

You get a great sense of what the industry is like from an inside perspective and that makes the coursework that little bit easier to cope with. Plus, you come away from the apprenticeship with (in my case) 2 years of boots on the ground experience which, for me, is far more valuable than the qualification itself.

I developed a wide range of skills including leadership, communication and resilience. It has prepared me to take on greater responsibility and to support both staff and service users more effectively.

If you’re thinking about doing an apprenticeship, I’d say go for it. It’s demanding but incredibly rewarding and it helps you grow both personally and professionally. 

The highlight of my journey on the business administration apprenticeship was enhancing the skills that directly linked to my job role where I could see the impact of my learning. Another highlight was the feeling of accomplishment at the end when I achieved a distinction.

The project management topic was where I learnt most. I have been using this in my job ever since. It has been a great area of business administration to enhance my learning in.

I had to make sure I was able to balance doing my apprenticeship work with my everyday job role. To overcome this challenge I made sure I was organised and always made time in my schedule for apprenticeship work.

My assessor was very accommodating and always gave me options in the way I learnt and produced my work. This was really important to me as I felt that it was personalised and she wanted to help me do the best I could.

I really enjoyed that all the content of the apprenticeship was covered and always related back to my job role. My assessor was great at making this link.

For anyone considering this apprenticeship, I would recommend it. You will gain new skills that will be applicable to so many roles. Also, this apprenticeship will help you learn so much about your organisation and how your new skills will help you in your role.

Completing the apprenticeship with Bracknell Forest Council played a big role in shaping my career. It helped me build on the skills and knowledge I already had, while giving me the chance to apply them in real situations.

The experience encouraged a lot of personal growth and really helped me prepare for working life and those benefits have continued to support me well beyond the apprenticeship. 

My apprenticeship gave me the opportunity to learn on the job while gaining a recognised qualification.

The whole experience was really positive and allowed me to gain practical, hands-on involvement while developing my knowledge and confidence, preparing me for my career in accounting.

For anyone considering an apprenticeship, I would highly recommend giving this opportunity a try, it could really shape your future and open new and exciting doors for you.