As we near the end of National Apprenticeship Week our spotlight today turns to David Boucher, Team Leader in the South West, who has just submitted his final assignment of his Level Three Facilities Management Supervisor apprenticeship.
“The course started in April 2018 and was scheduled to be completed in 18 – 24 months. It has taken slightly longer than 18 months but I submitted my final assignment at the end of 2019 and am waiting for my End Point Assessment. Fingers crossed for a positive outcome!
Greater depth of understanding
“The course has been really enjoyable and I found getting into the routine of studying very satisfying. I enjoyed elements of it moreso than others but in the main it was good to get a greater depth of understanding in subjects that I previously had a shallow knowledge of.
“Before I became a Team Leader I didn’t understand what makes people tick and what drives them in the work environment so, for me, the “Motivation & Performance” section was probably the most interesting; I have an interest in psychology and personality-drivers so it was great to gain a deeper, practical understanding of this topic.
“I had an awareness of ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ and ‘Safeguarding’ but these were covered in great detail on the course and, if I’m honest, were a bit of an eye-opener! I have frequently been labelled as a “Tree-Hugger” by colleagues so I found the environmental bits really interesting.
Balancing work, life and study
“I’m not going to lie, balancing work, life and study was hard! My wife and I both work at Landmarc and are both doing the same course; we have a 10 year-old daughter and 3 and a half year-old twin girls so life is a challenge at the best-of-times, without throwing studying into the mix as well!
“There were occasions where, due to certain pressures, we were studying in our own time which according to the programme we shouldn’t have had to do. Researching and writing assignments at gone midnight wasn’t what I expected but I knew there was light at the end of the tunnel. That being said, I felt fully supported by Landmarc during the process.
Confidence in my ability
“It sounds simple but I struggled at times, when writing assignments, to equate the theory of facilities management into my role and what I actually do on a daily basis; I turn up, task my team to their objectives, work safely and, hopefully, achieve our deadlines – giving these “mundane” and routine actions a “title” or pigeonholing them into a category was hard but beneficial because I could then see that our roles are, actually, more important and carry more responsibility than they first appear.
“Because of the course I feel that I am better informed as to the expectations and limitations of a Facilities Manager. I should now have the confidence in my ability to make decisions or judgement calls for my team or myself based on knowledge and not by supposition or conjecture. This, in turn, enhances the clarity of expectations for the team.
Looking to the future
“At present there is not a position available in the South West which would allow me to take the full range of knowledge gained from my course forward. I will, however, be able to effectively use it within my current role and, should a position become available, I’m confident that the qualification will be a valuable asset in my application.
“My advice to anyone looking at doing an apprenticeship would be to give it a go! I haven’t studied at this level for thirty years so, really, anyone could do it!”
