Parking Manager Review

I oversee all operational aspects of parking enforcement for the council. My role is central to ensuring compliance with parking regulations, maintaining traffic flow, supporting road safety, and delivering a fair and effective enforcement service. I manage the people, processes, data, and decision-making that keep the service running smoothly.

I found my apprenticeship programme to be well organised and clearly structured, with defined milestones and a logical progression that helped me understand what was required at each stage and stay on track alongside my day‑to‑day responsibilities. The balance between learning and workplace application worked well, but I do feel the programme could have been strengthened by offering a wider range of learning methods and mediums such as more interactive sessions, visual resources or practical workshops to support different learning styles. Overall, the structure was effective and gave me the clarity and confidence needed to progress toward my EPA.

I felt well supported by my employer throughout my apprenticeship, and although my line manager tended to take more of an arm’s‑length approach, I always knew he was there if I needed guidance or assistance. I was personally motivated to achieve the qualification, and this drive helped me stay on track, but it was reassuring to know that support was available whenever I asked for it. I was given the space, trust and opportunities to apply my learning in real situations, which helped me progress confidently through the programme.

I felt that there was support available from my training provider throughout the apprenticeship, and they were approachable when I needed clarification or feedback. However, I did find that some of the sessions didn’t always use the time effectively, and the quality of learning varied depending on the systems or software each tutor preferred to use. In some cases, the tutor was more experienced in different presentation tools than the ones available through my employer, which meant parts of the session were harder for me to follow or apply in my workplace. While support was there when needed, the consistency and relevance of some sessions could have been improved to better match my working environment.

I feel that my qualification has helped me perform better in my role by giving me stronger analytical skills, improved confidence with data, and a more structured approach to managing projects and reviewing processes. The learning I gained especially around Power BI, data interpretation and reflective practice has made a real difference to how I understand service performance and make decisions day to day. While not every training session perfectly aligned with the systems and tools we use in the workplace, the overall knowledge and techniques I developed have directly enhanced how I manage the enforcement service, how I communicate insights to others, and how I approach solving operational challenges.

Yes

I would recommend Cheshire West and Chester Council to a friend because it’s a supportive, inclusive employer that offers good development opportunities, a positive working environment and the chance to make a real difference in the local community.