Business Change Apprentice Review
at Sage (UK) Ltd
Higher Level Apprenticeship
Graphic Design
Newcastle upon Tyne
Review Submitted: April 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!
3.5/5
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Overview of Role
4/5
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Skills Development
3.8/5
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Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
4/5
As a business change apprentice I created engagement pieces for the Transformation function. These included powerpoint decks, training material, playbooks, videos, guides, and any other supporting material for the department to help bring projects to life whether that be a new tool that is rolled out or supporting colleagues through organisational changes.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
3/5
I enjoyed my programme, but not particularly the learning style as it was all self-teaching with one tutorial a month with the tutor. I enjoyed the content but some of it was not relevant to my job role, but could be moulded to work with so that I could complete all tasks.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
I developed my creative skills while on this apprenticeship and also PR and comms from the college course. This involved learning about how PR agencies work, the tools and techniques they used to track engagement, how to write effective communications and this all was tied in to my organisation and how we do PR and Comms - most of which I was not aware of prior.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
4/5
It was well structured in the sense that I could complete the work as quick or slow as worked for me as long as I got to my end point assessment. This made it feel manageable that I could make it work for me. I would say overall it was only loosely structured but my tutor cleared anything up that was too vague.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
Sage has been completely supportive throughout the course however this it dependent on manager and I was lucky. I had a good experience but that is not consistent across the business in terms of apprenticeship support. I was given all of my study time and was allowed to focus on my EPA fully when it came around.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
Cambridge Marketing College as a whole was adequate with the support. I had quarterly welfare catchups with them and my line manager where we discussed progress and made sure I was well in myself. I had monthly catchups with my tutor and this was where the bulk of support came from not the college itself.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
3/5
I do not feel that the specific course was fully appropriate to my role within the organisation, some of it was applicable but from the courses available as an apprentice it was the closest to what I did. My role is not much PR but the comms is useful still in my role today.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
4/5
We have Sage Foundation where we can do charity work 5 days a week, there are colleague support groups you can join such as colleague support, pride, families, we have events in the office such as office magic which is hosted to bring people together in offices. Depending on the area you are in there is more available.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Sage (UK) Ltd to a friend?
Yes
Why?
It has a good culture and the support in certain areas is good. I have had mixed experiences in different functions but my current area is positive and based on this I would recommend Sage to a friend. It is dependent on the area but currently my answer would be yes as I am supported and in a positive team with a good environment.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Sage (UK) Ltd?
They are more interested in how you are as a person, and do you show the Sage values rather than your experience. I started as an apprentice at 16 straight from school with no experience and only my GCSEs and my second apprenticeship I only had Sage experience, but not in the specific area, but was successful in both.
