My name is Sarah Britton

I'm a Training Officer in People and Culture's Workforce and Future Skills Team. I started with the Council in November 2021 and have been in my current post since October 2022.

My role 

My job involves supporting the Council's own Modern Apprentices to help them work through their apprenticeships and achieve their qualifications.

My main role is to assess and verify MAs who are doing SVQs in Business Admin.

I also work with MAs in other sectors such as Social Services and Facilities Services. I monitor and review the progress  and act as their point of contact to and to identify any training needs and make sure they are being supported throughout their apprenticeship. 

What I love about my job

One of the things I love about working with MAs is seeing them grow and develop their skills and confidence over the year or two I am with them.

Many of the MAs I have worked with have either progressed onto the next level of SVQ or found a full time job (or both!) - which is an amazing outcome.

I really enjoy my role as I love working with people and helping them to realise their full potential.

My name is McKenzie Alston

I started my Modern Apprenticeship in Business Administration with East Ayrshire Council in June last year.

Over the past year I have learned new skills and broadened my knowledge in Business Administration, all of which contributed towards me successfully completing my SVQ Level 2 last March. 

What I enjoyed about being a MA

I enjoyed the way I could work towards my qualification whilst being paid and gaining relevant workplace experience at the same time.

A combination of both knowledge and experience from my Modern Apprenticeship helped me to secure a permanent post in East Ayrshire Council which was also a great achievement.

How it helped me

I have established new skills while also developing pre-existing skills.

For example, my communication and interpersonal skills have improved and I now feel more confident communicating with my peers in a number of different ways – e.g. face to face, over the phone, or over email.

Positives

I have established a number of positive working relationships as a result of this. My ability to multi-task and time manage has also improved as I was responsible for managing my day-to-day workload alongside my SVQ paperwork.

I am now able to work very flexibly and prioritise tasks which need to be completed in the set timescales I have been given.

I've also improved my knowledge and skills using different office equipment has, allowing me to confidently use each piece of equipment easily.

Looking ahead

Overall, I have enjoyed the past year spent completing my Modern Apprenticeship in Business Administration, and have felt supported to complete this throughout my time with East Ayrshire Council. I look forward to seeing the next steps I will take in the near future.