Apprenticeship Student Danielle Achieves Distinction During Covid-19

Despite COVID-19 causing disruptions to teaching and learning across the UK, The Skills Network (TSN) has continued to support students and employers with their Apprenticeship training via online learning.

The current situation presents some real challenges; however, we’re still guiding our Apprentices through their learning paths and we’re continuing to see a high number of employers booking their staff in for new Apprenticeship inductions.

As our Apprenticeship model has a blended approach of face-to-face teaching and e-learning content to support, Apprentices are still benefiting from online workshops, one-to-one progress reviews, online tutorials, assessments, and reflective ‘vlog’ journals.

Danielle Flynn, one of our Level 3 Team Leading Apprentices based at Horton Housing, is a real testament to the fact that high quality Apprenticeship training is continuing.

Danielle has not only successfully completed her End Point Assessment (EPA) during lockdown in April, but she has overcome many challenges, and has achieved a brilliant Distinction.

Danielle’s Apprenticeship Journey

Danielle began her Level 3 Team Leading Apprenticeship in November 2018.

She was already in her desired career setting, working at Horton Housing, a housing support service for vulnerable people across Bradford, Kirklees, and North Yorkshire.

However, Danielle really wanted to advance her career: Danielle says: “I wanted to complete a Team Leading Apprenticeship so I could further my career in my current field of work. I know it is also transferable to any area I choose to follow in future. It would allow me to move into a manager’s position and I wanted to be a positive and effective leader.”

Throughout her Apprenticeship, Danielle developed key skills in leading people, managing people, building relationships, operations, finance, and professional managerial behaviours.

Despite her development, Danielle certainly met some challenges along the way.

She decided to step up into a new role and was promoted to a manager seven months ago, taking on a new supervisor role for a pilot ‘BTSS’ service and supervising two paid staff and two volunteers. This was an amazing achievement given the fact Danielle hadn’t finished her qualification yet!

Her service also underwent a large office move which caused much disruption to her team, but Danielle took this in her stride!

Then, of course, the COVID-19 outbreak occurred, and Danielle’s normal way of life and working patterns significantly changed. Danielle like many of us, had to transition to remote working and naturally there were concerns over completing her Apprenticeship’s End Point Assessment (EPA).

Danielle said: “I was close to the end of my course when the lockdown started. My only concern was completing my assessment but as this was mostly remote learning anyway, it actually happened quickly so I was grateful for that.”

Danielle achieved an exceptional mark of 79% in her EPA and achieved a brilliant Distinction.

Feedback from the EPA Assessor at TQUK said:

“Danielle scored 79% in the MCQ and her portfolio of evidence contained an extensive range of evidence covering a variety of assessment methods. She was fully engaged in the CBI and Professional Discussion and could give a range of examples to demonstrate her skills and behaviours as a team leader/supervisor.”

Denise Barnard, Head of Service for Support Accommodation at Horton Housing, said:

“Danielle has been in post for seven months now and is overseeing a new innovative service which is a pilot, funded by the council. Although she is a new manager, Danielle has applied her managerial skills and best practice to ensure the staff are supported, focused, and have a clear vision. Through Dani’s hard work and positive joint working, the service has been extended for a further 12 months.”

Upon achieving her Distinction, Danielle said:

“I am extremely happy with my final result and I really enjoyed completing the course. The Apprenticeship has increased my overall skills and professional behaviours which I can now utilise. I’ve definitely become a better leader for my team, and I hope to continue to build on my career by using what I have gained through this Apprenticeship. Even throughout the lockdown, I had regular online meetings and over the phone with my Trainer, and the rest of the team at The Skills Network, which I found to be extremely useful as well as supportive.”

Ben Doidge, Danielle’s Apprenticeship Trainer at The Skills Network, said:

“Throughout her Apprenticeship, Danielle has shown great determination and a professional approach to her studies; she went above and beyond to really understand the key topics before producing excellent evidence and showing detailed knowledge. We were really proud to see Danielle’s rate of progress, especially the development of new areas of knowledge and skills that has clearly added value to her performance within work. There have been challenges along the way such as a full office move, and the current COVID-19 situation, however with all her preparation and eye for detail I am delighted that she achieved a distinction in her recent End Point Assessment (EPA).”

This a real excellent example of Apprenticeship training. If you or your business would like any more information on our Apprenticeship programmes, please click here.