Andrew Collard's experience
Engineering Manager, EM&I
Senior Leader Apprenticeship Postgraduate Diploma Senior Leadership
The Senior Leader Apprenticeship Programme is designed for managers and leaders who are aspiring to a more senior role. The 18-month programme includes a Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Senior Leadership, and is funded by the Apprenticeship Levy.
There is also an option to top-up to a Masters (MSc) in Senior Leadership (paid for by the learner or their employer).
The programme focuses on strategic leadership development and equips managers and leaders with the critical skills and practical experience essential for excelling in a senior position in any organisation or industry.
Through hands on-learning, delegates apply the knowledge they acquire to real-world situations, enabling them to develop their confidence and competence as a leader.
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I am now an inherently better leader. I have leadership theories and models to apply in order to enhance and affirm my own personal leadership experience.
Andrew's experience on the programme
I'm Andrew Collard, Engineering Manager at EM&I, a global organisation providing asset integrity management services (inspection, repair, and maintenance) to the offshore energy industry.
I'm responsible for all engineering activities and departmental personnel, and in a wider context, for developing and supplying engineering inputs in supporting EM&I’s global operations.
I fell into a managerial role based on my individual performance and experience within a technical role, with no formal training in management or leadership. I was the textbook 'accidental manager'.
The Senior Leadership Apprenticeship programme, therefore, seemed like the perfect opportunity to build on my self-taught and somewhat shaky leadership foundations, supporting me in my current role and equipping me with the knowledge, skills, and behaviours (KSBs) for future career progression.
I think self-assurance was the main challenge I faced in my role. I was well aware I had no formal managerial or leadership training and was often left wondering if what I was doing was the best approach.
You don’t know what you don't know, so I hoped the programme would give me confidence as a leader and fill in some of the gaps of what I didn’t know.
I didn't have any initial 'fears' as such, although I probably underestimated the amount of work involved, and the requirement to juggle that with my day-job.
If I hadn’t had been so naïve, I would have perhaps been a little more apprehensive about that. That said, the amount of work is manageable (with a little effort) and if anything, it helped me improve my time-management and resource planning skills.
I haven't been promoted to CEO just yet, but having only recently completed the programme, it’s a little difficult to know the full extent the programme has had or will have on my career. I do have more confidence in my role and my ability to manage and lead.
I also feel I am better equipped to deal with situations I would previously have been unsure of.
It's difficult to pin-point the specific areas of the programme I now apply to the day-to-day activities of my work. I likened developments and improvements in my leadership qualities to that of my hair growing (bear with me)… you don’t notice your hair is growing - certainly not day to day - and perhaps only realise when someone who hasn’t necessarily seen you for a while points out 'your hair is looking long'.
That’s what it was like for me at least. I found myself dealing with a situation in work where I was subconsciously applying learnings and KSBs from the programme. When my manager said to me 'your hair is looking long' – no, he commented on how well I had dealt with the situation, and on reflection, I could attribute it directly to the programme and my improvements as a leader.
I feel I am now an inherently better leader. I have leadership theories and models to apply in order to enhance and affirm my own personal leadership experience.
My own personal improvements have also benefited my organisation. They've have gained a better manager in me - capable of better leading my department now and the business in the long-term.
If you are considering the programme, my advice would definitely be to take the plunge and do it. I would pre-warn you however to be prepared for the amount of work that is involved and implore you not to be last minute with assignments (like I was).
Stick with it and take the advice from your Practice Based Tutor and Work Based Mentor - they are likely to notice your hair growing more than you will!