Information Governance Apprentice Review

As an Information Governance Apprentice within the Wider ICT, Data, and Digital Team, I serve as the primary point of contact for Information Governance (IG) requests and Information Security Incidents. My daily responsibilities include managing the Information Governance Helpdesk, delegating tasks to team members, processing tickets, sending communications, and locating information for data subjects.

My manager kindly aligned the knowledge, skills and behaviours I need to develop over this apprenticeship with my job responsibilities and tasks I can do to develop these things. We regularly review this document during catch up meetings and how I can progress forward. This structured approach gives me something to work towards as there’s also target dates for when these things should be completed by. I also have one study day per week, during this day I will either have an online remote lesson and if not, I can use this day to work on an assignment or log my OTJ hours.

I receive a lot of support from not only my team, but also other colleagues throughout the business who are always happy to answer any questions I may have. My manager and mentor always emphasise that I can ask for help with anything and help me with any queries I may have. We also have an apprenticeship employment co-ordinator who checks up on me and ensures everything is running smoothly. There’s an Apprentice Support Network within the business, which means we can all connect and share important information with each other. This network also offers sessions such as interview techniques which help us prepare for future career opportunities. I also really appreciate how inclusive and accommodating the office environment is. For example, there’s access to a prayer room and colleagues were really understanding during periods of fasting.

My training provider is very supportive and helpful, whenever I have any questions or queries, I can email my skills coach or tutor, and they will get back to me very quickly. We also have ‘employer reviews’ which is between my skills coach, manager, apprenticeship employment co-ordinator and myself. This is done every 12 weeks and during these meetings we go through my current progress and how I’m doing. Additionally, I’ve been given access to a range of resources to support my learning and development, such as Pluralsight which is an online platform offering courses. This has allowed me to deepen my understanding in areas like Information/Cyber Security, Data Governance, GRC and much more. Moreover, I also receive Careers Information Advice and Guidance tailored to my personal development plan through my employer. These meetings take place regularly every few months, providing consistent check-ins that help me stay on track with my progress and development.

I am currently studying for a Level 4 Data Protection and Information Governance Practitioner Qualification and 3 months in it has provided me with a solid understanding of key GDPR Principles. I’ve been applying what I have learned through my lessons in real life scenarios and trying to contribute in any way that I can. I also really enjoy how the qualification covers a wider range of topics beyond Information Governance such as emerging technologies and their impact on data and compliance. This is extremely beneficial as it keeps me informed about the evolving digital landscape. Beyond lessons, my training provider also runs workshops on valuable topics such as accessibility and change management which has helped me approach things differently and build on my confidence.

Yes

Everyone throughout the business is very helpful and friendly, they all want what’s best for you and will try to support you in any way they can. They are also very accommodating, offering flexible working hours depending on your role and the requirements of the business.