Sarah Smith - Senior Project Manager – People Programme
Why did you apply for an apprenticeship?
At the time I was working on construction projects within the private sector and was looking for something new to get into! I came across an opportunity to do a Project Management apprenticeship here at Waltham Forest whilst working in the London Borough of Culture Team. The opportunity caught my attention straight away as...
1: It was a unique opportunity to be a part of the first ever London borough of Culture in Waltham Forest my hometown!
2: To be able to gain a recognised qualification - APMQ (Associate Project Management Qualification). It was a win-win situation for me, so I went for it without any hesitation.
Main learning points from the apprenticeship programme
The main learning points for me were understanding the different approaches to Project Management as I only had an understanding of Prince2 before being on the programme.
The apprenticeship allowed me to be intentional in applying my learning to the events I was working on, to be able to reflect on my development really enabled me to grow in confidence in managing and supporting projects.
Incorporating the apprenticeship into your working week
To progress through the apprenticeship, I needed to apply my learning and I often felt that I didn’t have any or enough evidence to support my assessments at times. After raising this concern, I was given opportunities within my team to lead on various aspects of programme and events management to ensure I could apply my learning from the apprenticeship and provide evidence for my portfolio. For example, I had to evidence in my assessment negotiations, and as I wasn’t involved in such conversations with the artists the Events Manager allowed me to engage with various artists, enabling me to incorporate my learning assessments around negotiations when developing these contracts.
Professional development since starting and completing the apprenticeship
When I started the apprenticeship, I was a Project Support Officer in the London Borough of Culture Team, supporting the management of the wider programme. I then moved on to an Assistant Producer role having more of a focal point on the production of events. During the last few months of my apprenticeship, I moved into the Change Team as a Project Coordinator supporting a range of projects, including the pre implementation phase of the current ERP Programme (SAP Replacement). As of the start of this year I have been appointed as a Senior Project Manager within the Change Team working on the People Programme.
Would you recommend an apprenticeship?
I would recommend an apprenticeship as I believe it offers experiences and opportunities that both solely learning and working does not offer. The beauty about an apprenticeship is it doesn’t matter about age, experience, or previous qualifications, as you are always bound to learn and apply this to your work. It also allows you to acquire valuable skills and experience within your working area which will strengthen your development opportunities.