Learning and Development Specialist Review
at AO
Higher Level Apprenticeship
Teaching
Bolton, Greater Manchester
Review Submitted: February 2023
Overall Rating
4.1 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
4/5
-
Overview of Role
5/5
-
Skills Development
3.8/5
-
Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
5/5
• Work closely with all business areas to identify training needs.
• Design and implement training including digital learning, including mandatory training.
• Deliver face to face and virtual training, from level 1 employees to management training.
• Work with the L&D to team to drive forward the L&D agenda and increase the presence and impact of the department.
• On-boarding duties including delivery of company induction to new recruits.
• Schedule and deliver training activities for the whole business and make sure our training schedule meets the needs of the business.
• Track learning hours, modules, and attendance, making sure records are up to date and accurate through our LMS, report to stakeholders.
• Collate feedback from attendees of training and report this back to stakeholders, advising of improvement areas and ideas and implement these into current training.
• Manager of associate trainers within the team.
• MS experience including PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, SharePoint.
• Design and implement training including digital learning, including mandatory training.
• Deliver face to face and virtual training, from level 1 employees to management training.
• Work with the L&D to team to drive forward the L&D agenda and increase the presence and impact of the department.
• On-boarding duties including delivery of company induction to new recruits.
• Schedule and deliver training activities for the whole business and make sure our training schedule meets the needs of the business.
• Track learning hours, modules, and attendance, making sure records are up to date and accurate through our LMS, report to stakeholders.
• Collate feedback from attendees of training and report this back to stakeholders, advising of improvement areas and ideas and implement these into current training.
• Manager of associate trainers within the team.
• MS experience including PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, SharePoint.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
3/5
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
New skills around coaching - contracting, different coaching models, understanding myself and other people, benefits of coaching to the individual and the business including ROI.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
4/5
After I enrolled there was a meeting booked in which could have been organised better - I didn't feel like I had the knowledge around the systems and how to work Aptem - other than that the day sessions were booked in advance and were not moved around. The programme was structured well, would have been better to have an overview of this from the very beginning - there was one but not in the detail I would have liked.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
Lots of support from my manager when I needed it.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
My mentor/coach was great however there were lots of times when I would need to chase her on answers because she wouldn't get back to me - completely get that she would have had alot of people to speak to but just a message to set the expectation of reply would have been great.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
5/5
10/10 - It's helped me to develop a leadership skill so when people come to me for help, I create a a thinking environment for the individual, rather than giving them the answer - it's also allowed me to start to create a coaching culture within the business
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
1/5
Not that I'm aware of
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend AO to a friend?
No
Why?
The L&D Team are great and this is no reflection on them - however since joining the business 8.5 years ago, the culture has completely changed and I do not feel like my opinion matters - the leadership team make decisions and there is a 'if you don't like it, you know where the door is' mentality - I don't want to work for people who don't care about their employees.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to AO?
The People Team is great, full of great people, and you have great learning opportunities available if you have the right leader. Rachel Whitfield and Lesley Peel are great leaders and I can't thank them enough for the help and support they've given me.
