National Apprenticeship Week gives us an opportunity to share one of the ways we are creating access to the sector but also the vast benefits this is having for us as an organisation. With support from RSPB and training provided by Blue Lion Training Academy we were able to deliver our first apprenticeship in Business Administration. Elizabeth shares her experience of completing her apprenticeship.

Why an Apprenticeship?

At school and college, university was heavily promoted and felt like the only option after higher education which daunted me as someone still trying to find the right career path to pursue. After talking to a variety of people who had experience in both apprenticeships and university, an apprenticeship seemed like the right fit as it would enable me to apply theoretical learning into my everyday role along with getting the practical experience, I needed to pursue my career even further. Since partaking in an apprenticeship, it has given me a better understanding of my learning style, allowed me to develop a valuable skill set and has given me the experience to progress further in the real world of work.

Why Derbyshire Wildlife Trust?

From having an interest in wildlife at a young age and through to my adult years it has always been something I am keen to learn more about/ do more for. As climate change has become a huge environmental issue, I think it is important to do as much as we can to combat this so working for DWT has given me the opportunity to not just learn about the business sector but also gain an understanding of the conservation sector which has been a huge eye opener. Seeing what happens behind the scenes to make a difference and seeing how my role can aid with this has been a great opportunity.
Another reason, after looking at other job descriptions from a variety of other organisations, they just didn’t quite live up to what DWT was offering. It was great to see that DWT values everyone from the get-go and cares for not only their development and work ethic, but also the wellbeing of staff for example being a living wage, hours, and pension employer. This has given me more opportunities in my personal life and has also given me the financial stability I need to achieve future goals.
Working for the Trust has also influenced me to try new things with a variety of opportunities being readily available; I have learnt so much from everyone else working here with every day being different and getting the chance to learn something new all the time. Without opportunities such as training and knowledge shares, I don’t think I would have gained the same skill set as I have now.
 

Your most memorable experience? 

I have a lot of memorable moments at the trust such as going Beaver spotting in my first few weeks for a team day and helping with a beaver feasibility workshop, but the most recent memorable experience was moving highland cattle from one reserve to another.
During this day I got to work with different members of staff and a volunteer, seeing the land management side of the trust's work but also showcasing how the Finance and Facilities team help with the behind-the-scenes elements of different projects. On the day I was able to be hands on with helping load the cattle, changing their collars once they arrived at the new site and finally, releasing them into the reserve to graze. It was really special, and I enjoyed trying something new that allowed me to see some of the skills the team possess along with getting to know different people and their job roles better.

Anything you found difficult? 

My main hurdle to start with was my confidence. Naturally being quite shy, I found it difficult to be in such a front facing team in the organisation however, knowing I had support from my line managers and team have been really encouraging and has made me push myself out of my comfort zone to achieve more than I thought I would and I now love working and learning with different people that have a multitude of experiences.  

What you gained from it? 

From this experience I have gained a plethora of knowledge that I can apply to any role I decide to go down and has given me the motivation to try new things and achieve targets that before my apprenticeship I didn’t think I could.

If you are interested in partnering with us to create further opportunities as this please do reach out at enquries@derbyshirewt.co.uk