project management Review

my role is dependent on the area and placement i am currently in. each year we change placement to get a range of experience. in my current placement i am focusing on bidding and contract work as well as scheduling, risk management and resourcing. i find that sometimes managers do not know how to handle apprentices or what work to give them, i think this is because managers are not often engaged with upskilling or educating employees and forget that apprentices are there to learn. i have been worked on a variety of projects all of which require stakeholder engagement, governance and collaboration.

evident disconnect with university and business can sometimes make the apprenticeship disjointed and convoluted. university expectation often varies. the conflicting understanding between the business and university is evident in my contract which stipulates that the degree is 4.5 years long whilst the business says it should be 5years. the business often does not know what is happening at university unless they are informed by the apprentices. issues such as the university expecting us to talk about business projects, operations and employees despite information being sensitive or in potentially in breach of or security show a lack of understanding of what apprentices can/ can't discuss to those who are not security cleared.

my employer is consistently supportive in most aspects of my apprenticeship. attention and recommendations are given to help my progression in the apprenticeship and considerable attention is paid to my mental health and wellbeing. i am comfortable discussing professional and personal issues with my skills coach and know that they will support me regardless.

university of cumbria provide a good level of support to help me towards my qualification but i definitely believe that it could be improved. as i have undertaken another degree previously i have experience in the how universities teach students and i understand the push for independent learning, which i believe has given me an advantage over my peers. if i had not had that previous experience i believe i would have struggled a lot more, particularly due to the significant amount of time remote learning and independent studying. i often don't feel support when doing my assignments as any questions about the assignments are often answered vaguely and the clarity of what lectures want us to do is vague and open to misinterpretation. my in-person lectures are where i feel most supported as i can directly ask my lecturer questions, there is more open discussions about assignments and significantly better engagement between peers and the lecturer which is a far more conducive learning environmnet.

yes and no. whilst the university provides a basis of the academic theory the application of the theory vary considerable in practice and in the roles i have been in. i often find that the university has explained why something should be done/ is done whilst the how is often up to interpretation. however, without the foundation of theory taught in university i doubt i would have passed my project management qualification first time (which is a requirement to passing my degree).

Yes

the company is a supportive of apprentices and encourage vocational skills. they are attentive to the development of individuals and the range of projects provide a vast range of opportunities.