After 15 years of managing apprenticeships for others, I finally became an apprentice myself – and it has been one of the most energising, challenging, and inspiring professional experiences of my career. Ten months into my KnowledgeBrief Level 7 Strategic Leadership Apprenticeship, I’m 77% complete and already seeing meaningful, tangible shifts in how I think, lead, decide and influence.
Numbers don’t tell the full story. But they can show the scale, pace, and impact of the journey so far. So here is my apprenticeship – by numbers.
What I’ve Completed So Far
16 Insights
These are structured micro‑learning techniques that introduce key leadership concepts, followed by an Insight Question that prompts reflection and real‑world application. They help embed theory into immediate workplace practice.
38 Pieces of Reading
Curated academic and practitioner articles supporting topics like strategic decision‑making, organisational culture, leadership psychology, and data‑driven management. What a goldmine of material to learn from.
6 Coaching Sessions
My fantastic Skills Coach, Kevin Monahan has been consistently advising and challenging me throughout this journey to encourage me towards my goal of getting a distinction. He has challenged my thinking, encouraged reflection and supported me to translate my learning into strategic leadership behaviours day‑to‑day. The fact that he has walked the walk of being the transformational leader that I aspire to become, makes his advice completely tailored to my ambition.
14 Workshops
Workshops are expert‑led sessions that deepen professional capability and connect theory to workplace reality. They mostly include breakout sessions in which I have met some equally driven apprentices as we have worked through the discussion exercises and gained confidence in this variation of networking. I have attended a fascinating range of workshops – from Equality, Diversity & Inclusion to Emotional Intelligence, Values‑Based Leadership to Risk Management, Writing Strategic Plans to Leading Change, Neurodiversity, SAD & Mental Fitness and more.
My Skills Coach, Kevin Monahan, has delivered a few of the Level 7 targeted workshops in his charismatic and transformational way. It was through the From Balance to Power workshop that I met another inspirational and transformational leadership coach in the form of Abz Salloum EIA, CICP, fCMgr.
11 Applied Competency Tasks (ACTs)
Hands‑on, scenario‑based activities that test strategic understanding and encourage real organisational application. The assignment is to both reflect and capture your personal thoughts based on the content and conversations from the specific Online Training Day. The ACT framework is used to create an action plan, identifying best practice and next steps, to develop as a manager and a leader.
6 Reflections
Critical reflective writing that tracks how my leadership mindset is evolving across each learning cycle. Questions differ depending on the learning cycle topic, for example the questions for the Shaping Communication learning cycle were:
- What have you learned about communication in this learning cycle?
- How did you use this learning to implement appropriate strategy and planning for communication in your area?
- What do you expect the impact of your approach to be both internal and external to the organisation?
5 Workplace Evidences
Real work outputs – projects, presentations, meeting summaries, strategy papers – that demonstrate applied leadership capability. They consist of writing up projects I have undertaken within the workplace using the skills I have learned from my apprenticeship. These are what will be covered in my End Point Assessment interview. For example:
Project 1: Sponsor Licence – Improving Compliance & Workforce Planning
One of my workplace evidences focuses on our Sponsor Licence process – ensuring our compliance obligations are met, risks are managed, and workforce planning is supported effectively. This evidence highlights my capability to interpret regulatory requirements, develop clear and consistent procedures, and streamline internal operations so that as we grow teams can manage sponsorship duties confidently. It directly demonstrates skills in governance, data‑informed decision‑making, people management and organisational culture.
Project 2: Policy Hub – A New Governance Framework
Another key workplace evidence centres on designing and implementing a Policy Hub – a centralised governance framework that brings consistency, visibility, and accountability to all organisational policies. This evidence demonstrates my ability to apply strategic leadership principles to real‑world operational challenges: analysing current gaps, creating a structured policy lifecycle, clarifying ownership, and embedding cross‑functional collaboration. It showcases my work in aligning organisational values with decision‑making and strengthening risk management, compliance and communication.
Both projects were aspects I had never been responsible for before, and therefore perfect for applying my new knowledge.
5 External CPD Webinars
Extending my learning beyond the core KnowledgeBrief apprenticeship programme and building depth across specialist areas. These included Home Office webinars on Right to Work Checks, Women Innovators in Digital and Design’s Annual Meeting and the Chartered Management Institute’s (CMI) webinar on Inclusive Management: It’s Time to Walk the Walk.
161 CPD Hours
And counting. My January total alone placed me in KnowledgeBrief’s top 5% of learners – with 100 CPD hours recorded that month! This was mainly due to my Workplace Evidence on our Policy Hub which was 80 hours total.
My Progress Through the Programme
7 out of 13 Learning Cycles Completed
Across leadership style, organisational culture, people strategy, communication, data‑driven decision‑making, continuous improvement, change and reputation management. I have two remaining learning cycles: Part 3 – Using data to inform on process and strategy and Part 4 – Leading successful change. I’m really looking forward to them.
1 out of 2 Study Units
As I write, I am in the process of completing the first optional study unit from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) to obtain my certificate in Strategic Leadership and Management. It has been designed to enable learners to evidence their understanding of how the organisational context influences management and leadership practice. Learners reflect on theoretical concepts and
contemporary thinking which can be used to inform approaches to working practice. Vitally, they will consider the knowledge, skills, values and beliefs which can transform management and leadership practice. It is a completely different writing style to the core apprenticeship assignments but a challenge I willingly accept.
This particular study unit has four questions and the skill is interpreting what is required to satisfy the “critically appraise” and “critically reflect” verbs:
- Critically appraise the impact of organisational context on strategic leadership
- Critically appraise the role of the strategic leader to set and realise organisational goals
- Critically appraise the leadership behaviours and skills required to deliver strategic goals
- Critically reflect on how the principles of strategic leadership can be applied to respond to each complex organisational challenge
Having an experienced skills coach makes all the difference.
11 out of 10 Training Days Completed
There are eight core level 7 training days covering the following topics:
- Writing strategic plans
- Values based leadership
- Coaching & mentoring
- Communication strategy
- Transformational leadership
- Continuous improvement
- Leading change
- Managing risk
The apprenticeship requires you to complete a minimum of 10 training days but of course you can do more. So far, I have completed 11 out of 10. What can I say? I’m a SWOT – not Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats but Someone Who Over‑Trains.
98% of KSBs Evidenced
KSBs stand for Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours – the three core components that every apprenticeship standard is built on. They define what an apprentice must know, be able to do, and consistently demonstrate in their role by the time they reach End Point Assessment. Here’s what each one means:
Knowledge
This is the theory behind effective leadership and management – the models, concepts, frameworks and strategic understanding required at a senior level. For my apprenticeship programme, this includes areas like organisational strategy, finance, governance, research methodologies, risk, culture and change management.
Skills
Skills are the practical capabilities someone applies in real situations – communicating, analysing data, making decisions, leading teams, planning resources, managing projects, shaping culture, solving problems and driving change.
Behaviours
Behaviours are the leadership qualities, attitudes and values someone demonstrates consistently – professionalism, ethical judgement, inclusivity, adaptability, collaboration, accountability and strategic thinking. These show how someone leads, not just what they know.
KSBs ensure that apprenticeships are genuinely work‑embedded, outcome‑based, and aligned with the capabilities employers need from senior leaders. They are also the criteria used to judge whether an apprentice achieves a Pass or Distinction at End Point Assessment. For a Distinction — my goal! — each KSB requires multiple, rich, varied pieces of evidence showing application across the following contexts:
- Driving Change & Risk Management
- Organisational Values
- Research, Methodologies & Analysis
- Team Working & Development
- Finance, Workforce Planning & Procurement
- Communication
Only one KSB remains to evidence to meet them all, however I want to ensure that I have covered each one at least twice to support my mission to get a Distinction.
Skills Assessment Progress: How My Confidence and Experience Has Grown
The Skills Assessment allows me to self‑rate my confidence and competence across every Knowledge, Skill, and Behaviour. The questions are scored from 1 to 6, where:
6 = I always do this and have expert understanding of this area.
5 = I have significant experience and I mostly do this.
4 = I am working at a competent level and I usually do this.
3 = I have emerging experience and I occasionally do this.
2 = I have limited experience and rarely do this.
1 = I never do this and have no proficiency.
My average score has grown from:
2.23 at my Initial Assessment
→ 3.85 mid‑programme at 6 months
→ 4.96 at my most recent assessment 10 months in
I am closing the gaps in my knowledge and experience with only a few areas remaining before I reach consistent expert‑level confidence.
What’s Left to Complete?
I have 8 months left and 157 hours remaining. Technically… I could finish within 12 months but I don’t want this incredible experience to end. This apprenticeship is reshaping how I think, work, plan, lead and collaborate. I want to soak up as much as I can. Every workshop sparks new thinking. Every coaching session unlocks more self awareness. Every piece of evidence builds confidence.
Thank You to Avrion
I’m hugely appreciative of Avrion for investing in my development. As a Learning Organisation, Avrion values continuous learning, reflective practice, and organisational growth. Apprenticeships keep our curious minds satisfied and support our long‑term strategic capability. Becoming an apprentice – after 15 years of managing apprenticeships – has been a privilege. This journey is stretching me, inspiring me, and preparing me to contribute even more meaningfully across our organisation. Distinction is the goal, but the learning itself has been the real reward.
What is a Learning Organisation?
A Learning Organisation is one that actively encourages continuous learning, curiosity and knowledge‑sharing at every level. Instead of viewing development as a one‑off event, it embeds learning into everyday work so people can adapt, innovate and improve continuously. In simple terms, it’s an organisation where:
- People are encouraged to grow, not just perform.
- Learning is part of the culture, not a tick‑box exercise.
- Reflection and improvement are valued, helping teams evolve together.
- Knowledge flows freely, rather than sitting in silos.
- Innovation is supported, because people have the skills and confidence to experiment.
A Learning Organisation doesn’t just train people – it equips them to think differently, solve problems creatively and drive long‑term organisational success. It’s the perfect environment for apprenticeships to thrive… and clearly, one that fits beautifully with the future of Avrion.
Want to know more about how apprenticeships can benefit your organisation? Find more apprenticeship blogs here.
