Enhance your leadership skills with our Level 7 Senior Leader Apprenticeship

Here at Huddersfield Business School, our dynamic apprenticeship programmes are designed to propel individuals towards becoming better leaders and improving their management skills. Meet Olivia Sykes, one of our learners on the Senior Leader Apprenticeship. Olivia recently won the University of Huddersfield’s Level 7 Apprentice of the Year 2024 award. In this blog, Olivia shares the direct impact the apprenticeship has had in her workplace and the invaluable lessons she’s learnt.

 

Why did you decide to join our apprenticeship programme?

My line manager recommended the apprenticeship to me. I'm always eager for new learning opportunities, so I thought let’s go for it. Initially, I had the preconception that apprenticeships were primarily for trades like joinery. But when I looked into the apprenticeship, I realised it was perfect for me.

As a relatively new manager with just two years of experience, I was keen to get some official training to help me make well-informed decisions and enhance my skills. The apprenticeship offered everything I was looking for in terms of development. The delivery, time commitment, support from the University and course modules all looked absolutely brilliant!

 

How has the apprenticeship programme impacted your personal development?

I didn’t realise the impact the apprenticeship would have, but it’s fundamentally changed how I approach everything at work. It’s given me the tools to approach anything – be it a change, initiative, problems, or new project – allowing me to address it comprehensively and consider many different perspectives. Before the apprenticeship, I would rely on intuition, hoping I was making the right decisions. Now, I have a solid foundation to base my decisions on, giving me confidence that I’m doing the right thing and understanding why it’s the right thing. It's given me the confidence to be really strong in my decisions and back my instincts and know what I want to do moving forward.

What impact has your learning had on your current role?

The delivery of the apprenticeship plays a crucial role. The apprenticeship team have expertly synchronised the content with our workplace activities. For example, when we learnt about strategy, our organisation was in the midst of setting its strategy. So, after learning something, we can go into work the next day and begin planning and implementing things.

In one of the sessions for the module ‘Strategy and Innovation’, we learnt about organisational culture, mission, and vision. As a third sector organisation, we have a strong mission and vision that’s really embedded in what we do. However, I recognised the need for organisational values from my learning as they are an important tool to guide employee’s actions and have a shared understanding of what is important. With the current volatile environment with lots of funding changes, it’s important for people to understand why they come to work every day. The week after the session, I put a proposal to our trustee board and our Chief Exec, and they said they can’t believe they didn’t think about this before! This led to a big staff training day where we discussed the values and gave employees the opportunity to make suggestions. Now, our finalised 6 values are embedded through our frameworks and everything we do. This initiative is the biggest impact that my learning has had in my role, and it all happened within the past three months!

This immediate application highlights the effectiveness of the apprenticeship approach, which might not be as achievable in a more intensive course format. While some learnings won’t be applicable until a couple years down the line, others are immediately actionable, and enthuse me to make positive change right away.

 

How are you finding the support from the tutors and services at Huddersfield Business School?

The apprenticeship team at Huddersfield Business School have been incredible from day one. There was a great level of attentiveness and familiarity right from the start of the application process. The tutors are not only knowledgeable, but also personable, offering wrap-around support for both personal and course-related issues. The apprenticeship programme wouldn’t be the same without the tutors that we’ve had, they’re absolutely brilliant.

What has been your highlight so far?

The biggest highlight has been being on campus with peers from other organisations and networks. I’ve previously done a management course that was completely online which although allow it allowed me to develop a network, didn’t allow for building deeper connections. On the apprenticeship the peer-to-peer learning on campus allows us to foster better relationships and support one another.

I’m not only learning from the tutors, but also from fellow learners which is a massive bonus. The campus environment is fantastic for collaboration, providing an open and safe space that enhances the overall learning experience.

 

I couldn’t recommend the programme more—it’s absolutely brilliant. I don’t think it could be run in a better format that it currently is. No matter your level, whether you’re at a more junior level like me, or a in a highly senior role dealing with major strategic initiatives, everyone gains valuable insights relevant to their role.

 

You can find out more about the Business Support and Professional Development opportunities offered by Huddersfield Business School at - https://www.hud.ac.uk/about/schools/huddersfield-business-school/business-support-and-professional-development/