Public sector worker praises value of apprenticeships

The 36-year-old has used a Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship (CMDA) to improve his ways of working and take on new roles, with the ultimate aim of becoming a more senior manager in the field of learning and development.

Studying the qualification has helped Jaswant go from working as a team leader at Walsall College to a lead partnership coordinator at Walsall Housing Group. Here he managed a team who supported the housing association’s customers during the start of the Covid pandemic.

This led to his current role with the Association of Colleges (AoC) as a relationship manager.

Jaswant said apprenticeships aren’t just useful to someone at the start of their career – they can support a person’s career development and progression at any time.

“Each one of my roles to date as fed into my apprenticeship,” said Jaswant, who is in the final year of his three-year qualification. “In turn, my apprenticeship has developed me as a person, colleague and manager. This is something I believe will continue long-term.”

Like other apprenticeships, the CMDA operates on a 20 per cent off the job training principle and is paid for by the employer. It is delivered by Ladder for Black Country partner Walsall College in partnership with the University of Worcester. At the end of the qualification, successful apprentices have the option to be assessed for Chartered Manager status.

“Overall my apprenticeship has made me more intuitive in my approach to specific tasks and projects and reflective about particular outcomes,” Jaswant added.

“As a manager, it’s important to realise that everyone is different and works differently.

"I’m more adaptable with my leadership approach so that colleagues work as effectively as they can. It means they can also develop and progress under their own steam.”

To find out more about the CMDA available through Walsall College, visit walsallcollege.ac.uk or call 01922 657000.