Meet Olivia - Apprentice HR Advisor
We're back again with another interview for National Apprenticeship Week. Today it's time for Olivia Barr to talk us through her role as an Apprentice HR Advisor. She's enjoyed the responsibility and support she's been given so far. Hear her thoughts below.
What are your future aspirations?
The great part about my apprenticeship is that I get to complete placements on rotation – what this means is I have the ability to work out what specifically I’d like to do in my HR career in the future! I have really enjoyed all of my placements so far – so this is a difficult question to answer!
Can you tell us a bit about your role?
I am currently studying for my Level 5 CIPD qualification, as part of this qualification I study seven different modules, and my placements reflect the modules that I am studying. At the moment I am learning about ‘Talent Management and Workforce Planning’ and so I am working on projects in the VTBA Talent, Learning and Development Team. Before this team, I was in the local HR team where I focused on recruitment, employee relations and internal communications.
How has your apprenticeship experience been so far, and what specific skills have you gained or developed during your time at the company?
I’ve really enjoyed my apprenticeship – my educational background is an Undergraduate degree in English and American Literature and a Masters in Social Development, so for me I’m still able to continue learning, but now I’m able to apply my learning to a business setting which is something I’ve never done before. I have gained so much HR knowledge during my first year and a half of working and this has given me a lot of confidence going into my placements.
How has the company supported your development during your apprenticeship?
I have regular meetings with the early careers lead, and the other apprentices – here we are able to discuss what we have learnt, our assignments, and because all of our apprenticeships are different, we are able to learn more about other roles in the business. I am supported by my manager, but also my placement managers who understand that I need to spend 20% of my time studying, and I also have mentor who regularly gives me advice. I also have a group of HR colleagues who are also completing their Level 5 CIPD, it’s really helpful to catch up with them about how they are finding their assignments!
Can you share a memorable experience you’ve had while working as an apprentice?
I really enjoyed onboarding the 2022 early career new starters – I was given full ownership of organising meet-and-greet sessions with stakeholders and social events where they could socialize as a group before starting their graduate schemes, year in industry programs and apprenticeships.