Honor Lovell
Academic Support Administrator Apprentice
University of Exeter Business School
Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Honor and I am currently undertaking my level 3 Business Administration Apprenticeship. I am an Academic Support Administrator Apprentice in the Business school. I have previously completed a level 2 Business Administration NVQ whilst working in the College of Humanities at the University.
I started my level 2 Apprenticeship straight after Secondary School. I started studying for A levels at college but then realised that I wanted to take on an Apprenticeship.
I now work in the Academic Support team where we support the Academics at the Business School. My team consists of 7 members. Several of these have been Apprentice’s before, so it is reassuring that they have managed to stay on in the team and progress. I also knew Amber (a fellow apprentice) in the team beforehand, and she has acted as an excellent mentor throughout.
What made you decide to do an apprenticeship at the University of Exeter?
Even though I was capable of completing A levels and going on to University, I wanted to start building experience, networks and skills and to work in an environment where I was treated like an adult. Becoming an apprentice has been the best decision that I have ever made.
I was unsure of what career path to take and so when I started studying at college, I knew I wanted to learn through practical skills instead.
I started looking at Apprenticeships and came across some positions at the University.
I started A levels after my GCSE’s, but I admit that I went to college not knowing what I wanted to do and where my A levels were going to take me. I realised that I should start looking for something that would allow me to progress and get the practical experience that I was looking for. I’m not saying that A levels aren’t the right decision; they just weren’t the right decision for me at that time.
The University environment is safe and it has a supportive and positive energy to it. There are lots of people around to help and that is key to learning and developing as you grow throughout your career. Working at the University has allowed me to grow in confidence in my role and as a person. I think it is one of (if not) the best employer for Apprentices.
Can you give us an idea of a typical day?
Every day is different, but in my current job, I arrange travel and accommodation, supporting seminar series, managing stock levels of stationery, supporting Academic Induction and generally supporting the Academic Support team and Academic staff. I have also recently completed a project to improve on our Academic Induction process at the Business School. I am always learning new things and I am really glad that I have the support of my team.
I attend Exeter College one day a week where I learn with other Apprentices from other organisations. It is really interesting to talk to them to find out what their responsibilities are and how their work differs.
There are many opportunities that you can get involved in alongside your Apprenticeship. At 16, I was involved in a live broadcast where I talked about what it’s like to be an Apprentice and answered questions from other young people who were about to make a decision on what path to follow.
I have also been able to support the National Apprenticeship Show, representing the University, at Westpoint arena on two occasions which allowed me to meet other Apprentice’s from the University and promote Apprenticeships to young adults.
At 17, I was able to present the Exeter College Employer and Apprentice Awards ceremony (in front of 200 people!) to recognise some of the amazing Apprentice’s who are out there today making a difference.
The University also offers a mentoring scheme which I am involved in; you can either be a mentor or a mentee. Also, every year there is a team-building day for Apprentice’s which is great for networking as you can meet the other Apprentices at the University.
How do you balance studying whilst working at the same time?
For level 2 and level 3, I studied at home and college. We were given time in class to complete any work outstanding and study for the exams that we had.
I found that a lot of the evidence that I needed was work that I had subconsciously been doing anyway. Both of my line managers (both level 2 and 3) have been supportive of my college work so if I needed time at work to complete it, then I could always ask.
My assessor set deadlines on OneFile (an online e-portfolio system) to track my progress, to upload my evidence and to review any outstanding work that needed to be done. I found OneFile really useful because I could easily access my completed files and could clearly see what I needed to do.
My assessor gave me work each month and you can always ask your assessor for more time if you need it. It was nice to have someone visit me each month to discuss my work and how things were going.
With my level 3, I have created a timetable of all of the outstanding activities and completed tasks so that I could keep on track. My mentor and line manager are really supportive, so if I feel like I need to spend time at work on college tasks, then I know that I can speak to my line manager about it.
What are the 3 best things about being an apprentice?
– Learning in a safe and supportive environment where you have the opportunity to learn new things first hand.
– Applying your practical experience to learning so it is relevant and meeting other Apprentices from other organisations.
– The opportunities that you can get involved in which can open up other doors and meeting new people.
How have you put into practice what you have learnt on your apprenticeship?
I find it really useful to learn about Business at college because it gives me a better understanding of the environment around me. My job also positively impacts on my college work as I can apply my experience to the knowledge, so they mutually support each other.
College allows you to learn a broad range of knowledge, so even if it sometimes isn’t relevant to your job role or something that you don’t usually do, there is a chance that you might come across it in a future job, so it is setting you up for the best chance of success.
How are you supported by your team?
I feel extremely supported by my line manager and team. There are many opportunities at the University to learn more. For example, when I joined the University in 2017, I was interested in becoming a first aider. My line manager helped me get booked on to a course with St John’s Ambulance and I was a qualified first aider within a month of being at the University.
I have been on many training courses at the university and I know that if I am interested in a training course to develop my skills, then I can go onto this course for my development.
I have regular catch up’s with my line manager, with my mentor and a weekly team meeting. I know that I can always ask my line manager or my team any questions or to have a catch-up if I feel that I need to.
Every month we have a team lunch which is really nice, especially when I first joined because I got to know the team better. I feel really supported by all the teams I have worked with because it can be quite daunting when you start somewhere new, but they were very reassuring and patient with me.
I have been so lucky to have had such positive experiences of working as an Apprentice because my level 2 was my first real job. My level 3 has also been amazing and I am excited to learn new things and to meet more people along the way.
What would you advise someone considering an apprenticeship?
The University is a great place to work and there are so many positions out there. You get to meet so many wonderful people and be a part of something that makes a difference.
There is a wide and ever-increasing network of apprentices (both current and former) that have been through the same things. You will be joining a team of people who learn together and support one another.
You aren’t expected to be good at everything, especially when you are new. It takes time, effort and diligence to really shine in your role.
My top tips would be:
– Research – I would advise doing some research first into what you might be interested in. Have a look on the website and see if any Apprenticeships are being advertised in the correct area for you. Looking through job descriptions are helpful because you can see what tasks you would be carrying out on a daily basis and what is expected.
– Ask questions – If you want to find out more, you can contact the panel lead and ask more to show interest.
– Apply! – You will never know until you apply. Write out a supporting statement (covering the essential and desirable criteria in the advert and job description) and try and secure some interviews. Even if you don’t get one of the jobs, then it will be good to practice interviewing and to gain feedback on yourself.
– Make the most of every opportunity