Claire Gavaghan
CEO
Derwent Training
Nikki Zanda
Business Support Manager
Derwent Training
Prior to starting my apprenticeship, I was working as a Business Support Manager, managing and leading a small team. I chose to undertake the Team Leader/Supervisor Level 3 Apprenticeship to back my real-world experience with a formal, recognised qualification. My goal was to develop advanced leadership skills and acquire fresh knowledge that I could immediately implement to support my team’s growth.
Apprenticeship training is largely funded by the government. The money is there for you to use to train your staff, whether that is your existing staff or a new hire. It will increase your business’s productivity. If your competitor is using this funding and you are not, my question is ‘why not?’. Where else are you getting free training from?
While balancing a demanding full-time role with my studies was challenging at times, the hard work paid off completely. Passing and completing my apprenticeship was incredibly rewarding, and the impact on my daily work has been immediate. Since qualifying, I have gained a much deeper understanding of effective leadership, which has allowed me to implement new, streamlined processes that directly support our business needs.
Nikki was tasked with addressing a laborious, 15-year-old manual administration process that was prone to human error and inefficiency. She embedded an automated system that navigates and manages our sales process. The skills & knowledge gained on the apprenticeship gave her the tools to do this and the resilience to manage team friction during the implementation phase. Nikki utilised coaching and mentoring techniques learned in her studies to provide training to her team during the implementation phase of the project.
Nikki’s initiative was a resounding success. She developed a standard operating procedure that, saves 10 administrative hours per week, generates an annual cost saving of £8,722 on outdated tasks, and ensures process continuity through the clever embedding of technology.
Beyond the data, the apprenticeship has fundamentally altered Nikki’s professional identity. Her confidence in decision-making has grown, and she now proactively explores innovative solutions rather than relying on historical “status quo” methods, which are slow and or costly.
This journey has completely transformed my confidence, not just as a manager but as a person. Equipped with the skills from my apprenticeship, I now lead and manage my team with absolute certainty, knowing that what I have learned is actively driving my career progression.
The teaching at Derwent Training was excellent; my tutor was highly experienced and gave me incredible support. The entire team at Derwent truly championed my development, giving me every opportunity to gain advanced, practical skills perfectly tailored to my job role.
I didn’t have any scepticism as I believe in the value of training your staff, but I get why businesses may be sceptical, feeling the training takes the employee away from day to day operations.
Having a member of staff who I directly line manage doing an apprenticeship, reinforced for me, the ROI they bring to a business, the growth you see in them personally, and the joy in the whole team when they succeed.
I don’t believe that any business can accept the status quo by not improving their staff whilst trying to squeeze improvements out of them and their operations.
Apprenticeships are an investment that improves morale, KPIs and the bottom line.
If you are considering apprenticeships to train your staff, my advice is to take action. It is an exceptionally cost-effective way to upskill your team, utilising government funding or the levy. Apprenticeships allow you to tailor the training directly to your business goals. By investing in your people, you build a highly motivated, loyal workforce that feels valued. This isn’t just training, it’s a strategy to future-proof your business.
