Kat’s learning journey from apprentice to confident HR professional
It's amazing what you can achieve when you put your mind to it! Our latest success story is Kat Wiland, an HR Level 3 apprentice who successfully completed her apprenticeship programme with Reed Learning, became CIPD qualified and achieved a master’s degree in business psychology – all while working full time! Here she tells her story.
The challenge
After completing a degree in business management at university, Kat was unsure what direction her career would take. Employed as a Patient Experience Coordinator at Doctor Care Anywhere, a private provider of online GP healthcare services, she successfully applied for an internal transfer to the HR team as a People Services Coordinator.
The solution
The role went hand in hand with a two-year HR Level 3 Apprenticeship with Reed Learning, a programme which provides a solid foundation for anyone looking to begin or advance their career in HR. Kat jumped at the chance to improve her skills and knowledge to get a great start in the people profession.
Kat’s personal adviser throughout her course was Debbie Sleightholm, an HR expert with bags of experience both in the people profession and as an apprenticeship tutor.
“Debbie and I worked very well together. Having that individual support during my apprenticeship was very helpful. Whenever I needed help, she was always quick to respond and point me in the right direction. The EPA (End Point Assessment) is such a big project and Debbie was absolutely brilliant in answering all of my questions and calming me down when I was panicking! She just talked me through everything in as much detail and as many times as I needed, so working with her was a very good experience.”
Apprentices spend 20% of their work time learning off the job and Kat and her manager agreed for her to have two afternoons a week to concentrate on her studies.
“My manager was supportive throughout my apprenticeship and we had a very organised schedule. Two afternoons a week were blocked out on my calendar so everyone knew that was my training time and if I needed more time for my EPA this could be arranged.”
During her apprenticeship, Kat made full use of the resources on our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and attended online webinars for each module, which she found useful.
“The webinars were interactive and went into a lot of detail, but we could ask questions if there was anything we didn’t understand. Then, if I needed more support Debbie was very good at giving me 1:1 time. I was in the same cohort throughout the programme which included another apprentice from my organisation which was helpful for catch-ups on assignments."
Overall, the CIPD course was quite spaced out and wasn’t too intense which I liked. The assessments were well explained and there was plenty of time to absorb one subject and put what I had learned into practice before going on to the next.
“The support I received during my apprenticeship was very important in contributing to my success. We can all access the resources but it’s the personal support to talk through things rather than just read about them that makes the real difference.”
The results
A year into her apprenticeship, Kat decided to study for a master’s degree in business psychology to add to her achievements. Now, having achieved her CIPD Level 3 Certificate in People Practice, obtained a master’s degree and completed her apprenticeship all while working full-time, she has become much more resilient in all aspects of her life.
“There were times when it was difficult but with the support of Debbie and my manager I was able to manage everything and it’s all been worth it. I have definitely developed my HR knowledge and skills so feel more comfortable about contributing to projects at work. Being more confident on what I do on a daily basis has been the biggest advantage of the apprenticeship. I have gained so much more knowledge about the profession overall which helps me to do my job more effectively."
“My experience of studying with Reed Learning has been very positive. The apprenticeship has shown me all the different aspects of working in HR which I am able to apply to my work.”
Looking to the future Kat hopes to progress within the people profession and hopes ultimately to go into a business psychologist role, knowing that her apprenticeship and education will help her to succeed.
Inspired by Kat’s story?
Kat was an HR Level 3 Apprentice with Reed Learning and gained her CIPD Level 3 Foundation Certificate in People Practice leading to CIPD Foundation Membership. For more information about this and other apprenticeships we offer contact our specialist team.