Bolton supports National Apprenticeship Week 2023!

University of Bolton Group Case Studies

MARK ROGERS - Facilities and Maintenance Manager, HORIBA MIRA Ltd

Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got interested in becoming a degree apprentice?

Mark: Having served 24 years in the army as a Royal Engineer working on construction and humanitarian relief projects, I was employed as a maintenance manager and then promoted to estates and facilities manager for a large R&D technology park (HORIBA MIRA, a global provider of automotive engineering, research and test services), where I manage a 900-acre estate and 80 buildings.  I became interested in doing the degree apprenticeship when I started looking at my next progression and what was required to achieve it after I found I had plateaued with my current qualifications.  

Can you walk us through a typical month as a degree apprentice?

Mark: A typical month revolves around getting study time booked in my diary around my work commitments, planning for my next attendance week and doing some reading in advance from the recommended reading on Moodle, or working on assignments.  We have a weekly meeting with our lecturers who give direction on assignments or assist with any issues and study preparation.   

How do you balance your work and education responsibilities?

Mark: I plan my weeks in advance, actively booking time in my diary for study and apprenticeship requirements around my work commitments.  This can fall apart due to issues at work but when this happens I reschedule my study periods for an alternative diary space.

How has your apprenticeship experience been so far?

Mark: I initially found that I struggled to get back into the mindset of studying, but the support from the lecturers at the University of Bolton was exceptional, they passed on many pointers that helped me immensely with getting into the flow of study.  I personally struggle with online lectures preferring on-campus lectures as it feels you are more part of the group and the university.

What advice would you give to someone considering a degree apprenticeship?

Mark: Before embarking on the apprenticeship you should always look at 1. What do you want to achieve from the apprenticeship? 2. How committed can you be? 3. What level of support is your employer willing to give?  The apprenticeship should not be taken on lightly as the commitment required is fairly intense however the benefits gained outweigh this.

JARED SMITH - UK Infrastructure & Facilities, DHL Hubs, and Gateways UK

Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got interested in becoming a degree apprentice?

Jared: I was awarded a degree in Physical Geography in 2008 and had a specific interest in sustainability whilst studying at the time, however, I did not originally pursue this as a career. I decided to enter the world of logistics, joining DHL Aviation as a Graduate in September 2011. Moving through the company, taking on a wide range of roles, from Project Manager, Senior Operations Manager to my penultimate role as Service Centre Manager. I took a chance and asked for a complete career change in an appraisal one year and my manager at the time was incredibly supportive and helped me find a new role. This is how I entered the world of facilities, becoming the Head of Facilities and Infrastructure UK for DHL Aviation. Not coming from an FM background I did a little research with our apprenticeship lead on training options for me and stumbled across the Level 6 – IWFM – Senior Facilities Manager Degree Apprenticeship at the University of Bolton.  I am loving this role so far and really see the opportunities it affords me in the future. Sustainable FM is critical to our Net Zero goals!

Can you walk us through a typical month as a degree apprentice?

Jared: I split my time across our East Midlands and London Heathrow airport sites engaging with the teams that manage the facilities, infrastructure, and ground support equipment. Generally working 4 days at EMA and 1 at LHR. The breadth of my responsibilities means that each week, each day even is incredibly diverse in its scope and cover. Taking week 3 for example, I have completed an exam in Building and Environment Technology, arranged for the repair of an aircraft de-icing truck, supported an office move project, discussed and agreed on changes to our boilers from gas to electric in one of our plant rooms, attended as a workstream lead in a security infrastructure project meeting and held a number of year-end appraisals whilst also listening to an IWFM webinar!

How do you balance your work and education responsibilities?

Jared:  Planning is key, blocking time out in your diary ahead of schedule is important as my team and my boss know when I am studying. Obviously, I have two-fold responsibilities, one towards my apprenticeship and the other towards my degree. I balance these with schedules OTJ and an element of reading for specific university assignments in the evening when required.

How has your apprenticeship experience been so far?

Jared: Enjoyable, I really am seeing direct applicability towards my day-to-day job. I chose to study, which makes it easier as I am motivated to do so. Plus I enjoy the subject and find it fascinating.

What advice would you give to someone considering a degree apprenticeship?

Jared: A degree apprenticeship can support your personal development and career goals, giving you direct and applicable skills. It is a big commitment though, so you have to be sure that you have the time, drive, and energy to commit.

PAUL HOLT – Mac Construction Consultants Director, who also lectures degree apprentices

Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got interested in supporting degree apprentices as a lecturer?

Paul: I’m a Chartered Builder and have primarily worked in the NHS – 12 years as Director of Estates and Facilities. I taught night school in the 80s at the old Bolton Technical College and never lost the passion to engage with and support balancing the demands of work, family life, and academic study. As a member of the University of Bolton’s Industry Advisory Board and in conversations with the Built Environment Team, the opportunity was evident to work part-time in addition to my role as a Director of Mac Construction Consultants.

Can you walk us through a typical week?  Is it all classroom based?

Paul: There are two types of learning on the apprenticeship degree. The academic learning as per the module guide taught either in class or online. For me, the real learning is in the conversations and the shared experiences of the group and how we can change their thinking from technical knowledge and experience to academic thought that seeks to define a decision from peer group review and evidence-based research. I encourage we challenge each other through debate to recognise that there are other opinions and ideas that might conflict with their baseline thinking. Of course, whatever is said in the room stays in the room.  

It sounds like you bring a wealth of relevant industry experience?

Paul: I started life as a plumber and through night school and day release I became CIOB Charted in 1998. I then went back to Lancaster University to study for their part-time MBA – so the balance of work, life, and study I discussed above in terms of my students is based on real-life experience. From a practical perspective, I’ve lived the role of the Facilities Director managing a £40m NHS revenue budget and multiple capital programmes on an annual basis

How has your experience been so far?

Paul: Teaching on the apprenticeship programme is a gift. The students come from an eclectic mix of public and private backgrounds operating across the full spectrum of management levels. The real benefit to the group is how they start to realise that their problems are no different from their peer group and how they can then learn from each other on both the academic and practical aspects of their different worlds of work.

What advice do you give to someone considering a degree apprenticeship?

Paul: The obvious is to understand the demands of the course against the life you live. However, adjusting is not as hard and as demanding as you might think. Be open to guidance and learning tools. If you do it right you will treasure the experience for the rest of your life – opening new opportunities to develop your career in any number of new ways. Whilst I’m biased, my advice would simply be to ‘Just Do It’!

DOUG GUY – Facilities Operations Manager, Student Living Brunel University London

Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got interested in becoming a degree apprentice?

Doug: I have worked in facilities for a number of years, At universities, for the police, and for a research centre. My current role is at Brunel University London. Although I have had many years of experience working in the facilities role, I wished to get a formal qualification and cover all the different aspects of the role. I found that this course at the time was the only one available as a level 6 and the course content looked interesting. I decided to apply to the University of Bolton and was successful in joining.

Can you walk us through a typical month as a degree apprentice?

Doug: I usually meet every Monday for an hour to catch up with the rest of my cohort. I might need to complete some assignments, revise for an exam and update all my hours, depending on when I might be attending the University of Bolton for face-to-face teaching or taking part in a remote learning week. I also work with other departments to gain specific knowledge for my course. I speak with other members of my cohort on a regular basis to discuss assignments or study for exams, there is no “I” in TEAM so I do enjoy working collaboratively! The rest of the month is spent doing my day-to-day job.

How do you balance your work and education responsibilities?

Doug: I set time aside each week for my degree apprenticeship, usually one day a week at a minimum, and adjust my work meetings and diary accordingly. I also try to identify any training or courses that may be relevant to my work and my degree.

How has your apprenticeship experience been so far?

Doug: It is more work than I expected and involves giving up some personal time to make sure you can meet the deadlines. It has given me some help at work with regards most recently to cladding as we did an assignment on this. I have been recently learning more about Net Zero, sustainability, embodied carbon, and operational energy - all useful in my current role.

What advice would you give to someone considering a degree apprenticeship?

Doug: Make sure you understand the time you will need to complete it, ensure you set adequate time aside from your day-to-day work and your manager understands what you need to support you with the learning. Brunel University has been very supportive of the degree apprenticeship and if you get this opportunity in your workplace please take it!

MARTIN ROSS - Engineering Apprenticeship Work-Based Tutor

Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got interested in supporting degree apprentices as a work-based trainer?

Martin: I started my career in Higher Education supporting the Executive MBA programmes at The University of Manchester. This gave me great experience and insight into working with busy professionals juggling work, personal lives, and long-term study. It was amazing seeing people from all walks of life (from engineers to professional footballers) achieve lifelong dreams of gaining a Higher Education degree and the knowledge and skills that come with it. I then moved into the Early Careers space, again within The University of Manchester, and spent eight years working with employers of all sizes to support them in developing and managing attraction and recruitment strategies for student internships, placements, and graduate roles within engineering. Degree Apprenticeships were an area I was keen to gain experience and exposure to, so I made the decision to join the University of Bolton as a Work-Based Trainer, bringing together my experience.

Can you walk us through a typical day as a work-based trainer?

Martin: I can honestly say that there hasn’t been a typical day yet! But in terms of things that happen, I might have a review booked with a learner and their mentor, a regular catch-up with an employer’s Early Talent team/L+D team, and be meeting with a prospective employer to discuss bringing on a new learner. This is all at the same time as keeping track of current learners’ progress, reviewing portfolios of evidence and training records, and making sure they are generally happy, healthy, and enjoying the course.

It sounds like you provide a lot of administrative support?

Martin: There is a fair amount of administration in this role, mainly due to the oversight EFSA and Ofsted have within apprenticeships and the need to keep accurate records and audit trails, but I wouldn’t say that it is the core of the role of a Work-based trainer.

What is core is building and maintaining relationships with learners and their employers.

How has your experience been so far?

Martin: My experience has been excellent. I have the utmost respect for anybody undertaking an apprenticeship, especially at degree level. Juggling a career, learning, training, and personal study for three to five years is an immense undertaking and it is amazing seeing learners achieve their degree and complete the End Point Assessment, knowing that you have been in the background supporting and guiding them to do so.

What advice do you give to someone considering a degree apprenticeship?

Martin: Do your research. Talk to people who are currently on or have completed a degree apprenticeship and consider all your options – traditional full-time, part-time, or Degree Apprenticeship. This isn’t the right route for everyone and in some respects can be a harder route than a traditional full-time degree, but if your learning style aligns to practical learning underpinned and supported by academic learning, it is a great option to consider. I genuinely wish it had been an option when I finished my A-Levels.