Early Talent Business Partner Review
at Last Mile
Higher Level Apprenticeship
Human Resources
Scotland
Review Submitted: March 2026
Overall Rating
4.6 /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
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Overview of Role
5/5
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Skills Development
4.4/5
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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:
5/5
Working in Early Talent allows me to support and develop apprentices, graduates, and trainees across the business. My day‑to‑day work includes planning and managing early career programmes, designing and delivering learning interventions, and partnering with leaders to identify and address Learning and Development needs. I provide ongoing pastoral and performance support to early career colleagues, ensure programmes align with organisational capability requirements, and contribute to a positive learning culture across the organisation.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
5/5
I’ve really enjoyed my apprenticeship so far. It’s supported my learning and development into a new area of HR. It's given access to theories and tools that I hadn’t used before, and it's been great to take something I’ve learned and immediately test it with tasks and projects in my Early Talent role. The programme has stretched my thinking and supported me to build confidence in a new role. I enjoy the balance of structured learning, coaching practice and reflective work — it keeps me engaged and constantly improving in both my personal and professional development. Both my apprenticeship tutors and managers have ensured my work is tailored around my apprenticeship course.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
Through my apprenticeship programme, I've developed on my existing skillset that further enhances my effectiveness as an Early Talent Business Partner. I have deepened my understanding of learning theory, strengthened my coaching capability, and built on my confidence in designing, delivering and evaluating development interventions. The programme has equipped me with new consultancy skills, whilst extending my reflective practice skills, and has offered a data‑driven approach that enables me to partner strategically with the business. These skills allow me to create meaningful, inclusive and impactful development experiences for our apprentices, graduates and trainees, while contributing to the business's wider capability and culture. It has also enabled my role to extend into a wider L&D role to support additional tasks and projects for the business.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
5/5
The apprenticeship has been well‑structured and supported throughout, both by the provider and internally within the organisation. Although there have been changes to the programme and adjustments to tasks and projects along the way, the structure has remained clear and purposeful. Internally, we have adapted the work‑based evidence and projects to better align with any updated requirements of the apprenticeship course, which has certainly strengthened my ability to be flexible, organised and solution‑focused. The continuous support from my managers and apprenticeship tutors has ensured that I’ve been able to meet the evolving expectations of the programme while continuing to apply my learning effectively in my Early Talent role.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
I've recieved great support from my employer. With my managers guidance, we have worked together with the apprenticeship tutors to ensure I can prioritise and meet deadlines for my work on both sides. My employer has been very flexible with my apprenticeship hours during holidays and busy periods at work,
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
5/5
The training provider has been very supportive. We've had lots of open and honest conversations about where I am in my role right now, my career to date, and dicussing my previous work experience. This has been really supportive with my reflections in my learning journal activities. When I've been on any training and missed workshops, they have kindly sent the recording for me to pick up in my own time. This network has enabled me to progress and succeed in my apprenticeship.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
4/5
With the L&D qualification, it has supported my introduction to this area of HR. Having collaborated and managed colleagues in this area I've never had the change to experience the hands on tasks myself. It has been a great learning curve to better understand the challenges and rewards in order to excel in my role, with the help of the qualification. Some areas I've been able to go above and beyond due to my previous work experiences and training.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
3/5
At my current workplace, there isn't chance to get invovled with extra-curricular activites. However, in my role I'm working with managers to implement these type of activities with volunteering and social activities that I've been able to embed into our early talent learning initiatives.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Last Mile to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Last Mile is a great place to work because the organisation has been very collaborative and the industry can be fast‑moving at times, which means I’m constantly learning, adapting and contributing to meaningful work. My colleagues have been friendly, open and approachable, which has made me feel very welcome. There has been clear frameworks, expectations and support systems in place, but also the freedom to shape projects, bring ideas forward and influence how thins can be done. This has allowed me to grow professionally, apply my apprenticeship learning in real time, and make a tangible impact on our Early Talent programmes.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Last Mile?
My advice is simply to research the organisation. Last Mile appears to be a complex infrastructure business to understand but by learning the foundations of what we do and deliver in practice, and knowing a few of our clients and the work we have completed for them, will stand people in good stead for applying.
