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BUILD THE FUTURE – David transforms his career with a Degree Apprenticeship

10/02/2021

“I thought a Degree Apprenticeship would be a good opportunity to progress further and take on more responsibility as well as giving something back to the organisation.”

David Smyrell, 35 from Belfast originally but now living in Wolverhampton, is leading the way in his project management role by studying for a Senior Leader Master’s Degree Apprenticeship at the University of Wolverhampton which is funded by his employer, Shropshire Council, through the Apprenticeship Levy.

David, an IT Project Manager at the Council, followed the traditional education route by studying for GCSEs, A Levels and then completing a degree in History.  He was unsure about what kind of career he might pursue and, after graduating, worked in a variety of roles from setting up a window cleaning business to studying to be a teacher before starting work at Shropshire Council in Customer Services.

He said: “Success isn’t always a straight line. I had no clear career advice when I was doing my A Levels and a degree in History didn’t really prepare me for the world of work so I tried a number of different things. When I started working at Shropshire Council, it was at a time in my life when I realised that, in order to better support my family, I should start to aspire more in my career.

“I moved from the Customer Services team to work in a liaison role between services before finally applying for the IT Project Manager position.  I had been working in that role for five years when the Degree Apprenticeship was brought to my attention. I thought it would be a good opportunity to progress further and take on more responsibility as well as giving something back to the organisation.

“I enjoy learning but as it had been a long time since I’d done any academic work it was a big shock to my system, but the experience has been really good and I’ve learned a lot on the course. I deal with a lot of things covered in the modules on a day to day basis – HR, change management, processes – but I had never thought about the theories behind it so I’ve implemented a lot of it in the workplace especially as I’m working on a business transformation project.

“I would recommend a Degree Apprenticeship. I’ve had really good support from my manager and have benefited from allocated study time. It’s a great way to further your career and increase effectiveness in your job.”

David is in the second year of the Apprenticeship and is due to graduate later this year.

Find out more about how Degree Apprenticeships can benefit you or your business: www.wlv.ac.uk/naw2021

 

For more information please contact the Corporate Communications Team.

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