Author: Ed Watson

One such inspiring story is that of a student who faced academic challenges and personal struggles but ultimately turned their life around with perseverance and determination.

Despite battling severe anxiety and feeling overwhelmed by the pressure of coursework, I sought help through my tutor.  With the right guidance and resources, my transformation was remarkable. Over time with my tutors support, I not only overcame my fear of writing assignments but also excelled in my work, proving anyone can triumph over any obstacles.

Andy came to ATL as a result of a recommendation from the local Jobcentre and entered onto an Employability Skills course. The course was a great success and as a result Andy’s confidence improved.  So much so in fact that, when he spotted a vacancy as an Administration Assistant with ATL, he applied and was successfully appointed into the position.

We are delighted to have Andy join our EMP team and he is already a valued member of the team making a significant contribution, particularly welcoming new applicants to the department.  Andy has a passion for self-development and is also undertaking his Functional Skills Level 2 Maths qualification along side his job role. Andy said: ‘I am so grateful to Sally and Jill for seeing something in me and giving me the chance to work with them at ATL. Everybody has made me feel so welcome and I take great pleasure seeing a learners journey from when they first come in to sit their Initial Assessment to when they pass their exam and walk out more confident and with a smile.

Intially, I wasn’t very motivated to complete my course due to the amount of units I needed to complete and little time to do them, while also working.   As I needed to complete the course as part of my employment, I was also concerned I would look incompetent, which affected my confidence.

Following fortnightly meetings with my tutor, my confidence started to grow towards the course and within my employment.  I started actively participating in team meetings with the skills, information, knowledge I was learning, such as providing advise on policies and procedures.  I completed various assessment methods, to establish my own preference of learning style and skills.  I learnt discussions were my preferred method, as I like to research and complete notes, elaborate throughout the discussion and enjoy the holistic approach, which leads to other learning outcomes and covering criteria.

I now enjoy sharing and celebrating with my colleagues the completion of each unit and on my way to completing my course on time.  I now have a new passion for learning, which has reignited my passion for learning from my school days.

Throughout the duration of my Level 3 Software Development Technician apprenticeship, Dan at Achievement Training Limited provided continuous support in the form of regular weekly catch ups to discuss my portfolio progress and my overall apprenticeship journey.

Dan was always able to answer any questions that I had relating to the assessment criteria and we agreed and set clear targets about the work that I needed to complete. It was very clear from the start of my interactions with Dan that Dan has a wealth of knowledge around apprenticeships and was always able to provide advice and guidance that was based on evidence and a clear rationale, which put me at ease.

Since completing my Level 3 Software Development Technician apprenticeship, I have been able to progress on to the Level 4 Software Developer apprenticeship, which is helping me towards achieving my overall goal of becoming a Software Developer within my organisation.