Business Administration Apprentice Review
at NHS
Level 3 Apprenticeship
Business Operations
Southampton
Review Submitted: March 2023
Overall Rating
5 /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!
5/5
-
Overview of Role
5/5
-
Skills Development
5/5
-
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
On a day to day basis, I liaise with the Apprenticeship Managers and Commercial team to find providers for apprenticeships and complete the admin tasks required to put contracts in place with the training providers. I also measure the performance of the training providers using a set of KPI's that have been developed and escalate them where necessary.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
5/5
I enjoyed the programme and learning new skills and it was also useful to be able to network with other apprentices on the same course. The fact that there was a mix of online workshops, assignments and project work meant that there was a good variety and it stayed interesting throughout the whole apprenticeship.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
I have developed a lot of skills throughout my apprenticeship, the main ones being project management tools. I learnt about different tools used to plan, implement and evaluate a project during my apprenticeship training and was able to come back and put these into practice when running projects in my normal role.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
5/5
The structure of the programme was clearly laid out at the beginning of the apprenticeship, including gateway and end point assessment, so everyone knew what to expect from the programme. We were given timetables at the beginning of the course so we could make sure we were available for the online workshops and plan our off the job time around this.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
I received a great amount of support from my employer, whether this was from catching up with my line manager or three monthly pastoral reviews. They made sure that I was able to take all of my off the job hours and meet the 20% expectation and were very flexible about when I could do this.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
5/5
I had regular review meetings with my assessor and some of these involved my line manager so I could have feedback from both the provider and my employer. In these reviews we set targets that would help me both in the apprenticeship and the workplace. If I ever needed additional support I was able to contact my assessor who was more than happy to help and provide valuable feedback on tasks and assignments.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
5/5
I feel that had I not completed this apprenticeship, I would not be trusted with a lot of the tasks and responsibilities I have in my role now as the apprenticeship helped me develop the skills I need to be able to carry these out. It has also helped me perform better in my role as I had a chance to network with apprentices in other teams who support me with some of the tasks in my day to day role.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
5/5
There are a lot of extra-curricular activities to get involved in such as exercise classes on Zoom, webinars that cover different topics like quality improvement or project management skills etc. There are also award ceremonies held throughout the year for the HEART values or apprenticeships. There is also the opportunity to join activities such as mental health walks organised by the Trust.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend NHS to a friend?
Yes
Why?
There is such a variety of roles that you can apply for, whether they are clinical and Non-Clinical and you can progress in all of them. The support you receive from your line manager and the apprenticeship team will make the process a lot easier and they are all there to make sure that you have the best experience possible.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to NHS?
If you are looking at apprenticeships vacancies remember that the job description is what you'll be expected to do once you have completed your apprenticeship, not skills that you are required to have before you start the role. They are advertised as apprenticeships because you will get the training to be able to complete the job.
