MP Awards Celebrates National Apprenticeship Week

In 2018 MP Awards hired its first Apprentice, LUCY PRESTON to work on our Vocational Qualifications as an Assistant Administrator. In March of this year, Lucy will graduate from her Apprenticeship into a full-time job with MP Awards. As part of National Apprenticeships Week, we asked Lucy to reflect on why she decided to become an apprentice, what her daily routine looks like, and where she’d like to go next now that her apprenticeship is complete…

My name is Lucy and I work for MP Awards as a VQ Assistant Administrator. This past year I have been working towards my Level 2 Business Administration qualification as an apprentice with Stephenson College.

I first started to look at apprenticeships because I was at a job I didn’t like. I tried to find other admin jobs but because I didn’t have the experience they wouldn’t take me on. I saw this apprenticeship with MP Awards and thought that I’d give it a go. Now that I’ve done it and come out the other side I’m glad because I’ve got more experience, knowledge, and a better idea of where I want my career to take me.

My day-to-day job with MP Awards is quite varied: from processing Geotechnical, Trainer, and Assessor courses to using our database systems to register candidates and make amendments. I also help to create reports for internal and external use as well as undertaking various marketing and communications functions with the current MarComms Officer.

Once I begin my fulltime role, I’ll be looking to develop my skills further, potentially by obtaining a VQ Level 3 in Business Administration qualification.

I’ve really enjoyed the marketing I’ve been able to do as part of my apprenticeship and producing content is a really rewarding part of my job. I’d really like to explore this side further which, whilst not only playing to the strengths I’ve discovered doing my apprenticeship, will give me a larger area of responsibility and make me a more valuable team member. I plan to continue to develop these skills through mentorship provided by the Marketing & Communications Officer which would include attending specialist courses and other practical opportunities I can utilise to develop my skills.

I appreciate all the support I’ve been given whilst working towards my apprenticeship completion and I look forward to continuing to work for MP Awards.

MPQC have apprenticeships at its core with each department having a direct influence on these increasingly valued qualifications. MP Futures helps to develop different types of apprenticeship for the extractives industry and to date have brought four different types to market. MP Skills, in turn, acts as a training provider for Apprenticeships in partnership with the University of Derby, and finally, MP Awards delivers End-Point Assessment (EPA) for apprentices as part of their remit.

National Apprenticeship Week (4^th-8^th March 2019) is an annual week-long celebration of apprenticeships which brings the whole apprenticeship community together to celebrate the impact of apprenticeships on individuals, employers, and the economy.