What our Mentors say about apprenticeships
Hiring apprentices is a productive and effective way for us to grow our own talent by developing a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce.
As a mentor, you are there to offer support and to use your knowledge, skills and connections to help the apprentice in their new role and help them develop.
Find out what it's like being a line manager/mentor of an apprentice at the University of Exeter.
Recruiting Manager Case Studies
Alan Orgée (Gas Manager & Deputy Manager for Direct Works)
"In my professional opinion training apprentices are critical for individual services/companies to improve skill retention; apprenticeships have allowed our business to secure a supply of people with the skills and qualities that the business required and which are often not available on the external job market."
James Bingham (Interim IT Business Partner for Professional Services and Corporate and Research Systems Team Leader)
"I meet monthly with my apprentice on a 1 to 1 basis and also monthly as part of the Research Systems Team. In these meetings we discuss priorities, work completed, training, any barriers that have hindered development and then how best to overcome them."
Rodger Snelling (Head of Networks)
"I can rely on my apprentice to work effectively under little supervision as he demonstrates a high level of technical capability, along with his ability to effectively engage with clients and stakeholders of our various services. Given the advance notice and ability to forward plan, then it has been relatively easy to allocate Andrew’s 20% training time commitment"
Kerrie Gove (Executive Assistant)
"I now mentor and supervise our current Apprentice and I think that because I’ve been in her position, I know where she is coming from and can help guide her through her apprenticeship. My advice to anyone thinking about doing an apprenticeship would be to definitely do it, it such a good opportunity. Anyone regardless of age can do an apprenticeship."
Lee Taylor (Infrastructure Systems Team, Exeter IT)
"Matt was deliberately given a mentor outside of the team for the purposes of the programme assessment to provide an unbiased view of his progress. However, naturally I have supported him with some direct feedback and via his nominated mentor in my capacity as his team leader, colleague and friend."
David Gregory (Mechanical Engineering Manager)
"Apprentices not only make a valuable contribution to the university and industry in general but also to the working community campus-wide, now that they are being incorporated into every aspect of the business. It’s a very rewarding experience mentoring and managing an apprentice because it offers us the opportunity to witness the development of someone with great expectations, few skills and an open mind, coming to fruition through hard work and innovation."
