Apprenticeship focus – Rachel McGann
Training Specialist Rachel is currently taking on a Level 5 Coaching Professional Apprenticeship as part of her career development at LV=. Learn about how she manages her time and the valuable skill she’s learnt that translate into her role.
Why did you want to start an apprenticeship?
Before working at LV=, I was a teacher and I used to coach and mentor trainee teachers and newly qualified teachers. When I found out about the Coaching Professional apprenticeship, it sounded like the ideal way to develop my coaching skills further and begin to use them more in my day-to-day role as a Training Specialist.
What qualities or skills make for a good apprentice?
You need to be self-motivated and very organised as you are in charge of your own learning – it’s up to you to work out when to do the work from the modules and to make sure you meet your deadlines.
Describe your average study week.
All study happens during work hours. Some weeks, there is a two-hour seminar to attend and there is usually work to be completed before that. Other study might include reading, watching coaching videos or listening to podcasts, applying my learning at work, or working on my portfolio of evidence. The expectation is around six hours of study a week, but that can be flexible as long as the total hours completed are enough.
How will the skills you’ve learnt in your apprenticeship translate into your current role?
I already use elements of coaching as part of my role as a Training Specialist, but I will also be offering formal coaching sessions in the future. This is another way of giving people opportunities for personal development, in addition to more traditional training.
What doors can an apprenticeship open for you?
Doing an apprenticeship is a chance to develop yourself and your career further. It also gives you the opportunity to meet a range of people in similar roles in other companies/settings and expand your professional network. For me, it also provides an opportunity to work with other areas of the business that I might not have been in contact with before.
What would be your one piece of advice to a new apprentice?
Get really organised! As soon as you get your learning plan, book all the important dates straight into your calendar. I’ve also found it helpful to block book out some time each week which I’ll spend doing apprenticeship work/study.
Fancy joining a team here at LV=? Take a look at our current vacancies.