Sade
Commercial Higher Level Apprentice
Location:Leicester
“I’m following a three-year Commercial Higher Level Apprenticeship. This means I will receive a degree in Professional Practice in Management from Sheffield Hallam University and will also be an accredited Chartered Manager.
Most of my week is spent working on commercial projects but I attend university every six weeks to fulfil the degree part of my apprenticeship.
The day-to-day, on-the-job element involves me in undertaking tasks such as forecast analysis, creating posters, collecting store insights, and collating news and data into presentations. I am also learning everything from in-depth PowerPoint and Excel skills to completely new competencies which include using tools such as ‘Power Bi’ and ‘Recipe Professor’.
This apprenticeship offers me a point of differentiation from lots of other people my age. By the time I am 23, I will have a degree, no student debt, Chartered Manager status, and three years of work experience under my belt that’s been spent in a fast-paced and progressive industry.
Considering many graduate jobs expect both a degree and experience when applying, I will have both of these, rather than having to face the ‘chicken and egg’ cycle of needing experience to get a job but needing a job to gain experience.
Of course, it’s not all handed to you on a plate. You need to be organised and prepared to work incredibly hard for three years – you are working a full-time job whilst balancing a degree. But I know it will be so worthwhile!”
