Buildings are the backbones to a business: Understanding a workplace from within through a Facilities Management Apprenticeship - Capital City College Tracking Pixel
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Buildings are the backbones to a business: Understanding a workplace from within through a Facilities Management Apprenticeship

We spoke to Apprenticeships+ alumnus Zak about his experience of completing the Level 3 Facilities Management Apprenticeship. 

Ever wondered who keeps everything shipshape in your school, college or office? That’s the work of Facilities Management professionals.

Zak, who works as a Receptionist at charity Change Grow Live (CGL), recently completed the Level 3 Facilities Management Apprenticeship with Apprenticeships+. Change Grow Live is a national health and social care charity that offers support for people who want to change their lives by offering advice, treatment and support.

We spoke to Zak to find out about his apprenticeship experience.

Buildings are the backbones to a business: Understanding a workplace from within through a Facilities Management Apprenticeship

What’s your role at Change Grow Live?

I’ve been working as a Receptionist for Change Grow Live for the last six years with some secondments in between. I first started out doing basic reception duties but as time went on I expanded my skills. As well as working on reception with general duties like getting everyone to sign in and helping with room bookings, I also help people if they have issues logging in and using IT equipment. I also do statutory health and safety checks such as the weekly fire alarms and conduct extinguisher and premises checks.

What led you to start an apprenticeship?

As I developed my skills, I started to help the facilities team. I thought it would be a good idea to do a course and see where it took me. I wanted to understand more about what Facilities Management involves. There’s so much to it, it’s a bit like the backbone of a lot of businesses but you don’t always realise it. To keep a building operating you need electricity, you need to liaise with different contractors and suppliers, you need everything to function correctly, so we work with different departments and have to be able to engage with and build rapport with lots of different people and companies. It’s quite exciting and interesting. 

Why did you choose Apprenticeships+?

When I was liaising with my manager Fran Wellington, Senior PA at Change Grow Live and the Learning and Development team, we thought the Level 3 Facilities Management Apprenticeship at the King’s Cross centre was ideal because it was based close to where I work. I’ve actually studied with Capital City College (CCC) before – I studied Health and Social Care and really enjoyed it.

What did you like most about the course?

The thing I enjoyed the most was understanding the different aspects of being a Facilities Manager as there’s a lot involved in keeping a building going. I got to learn about a lot of things that I didn’t know about before such as the reasons why we have to do the statutory checks on a regular basis.

What were the highlights of the course?

For me, the highlight was gaining knowledge of how many legal requirements are needed in certain aspects of building and facilitating a working environment for colleagues and visitors.

If anything happens within a building, it all falls back to Facilities Management, so you have to understand that people will need to come to you for a whole range of things, and it’s all about being positive and approachable, having a good rapport with people and treating everyone equally. 

Was it easy to connect with your cohort and your tutor?

It was brilliant. Everyone was on the same wavelength and we got along. The course tutor, Rod, explained everything brilliantly and was really easy to communicate with. If I needed help with anything, he was just an email away. He made you feel like he was really there to support you and was easy to build a rapport with. If I was unsure about a certain question in an assignment because of the wording, he would just break it down and explain what it meant.

Everything was done online and the only time we met each other was when some of us were doing our Level 2 Maths, which was required for the course. There were quite a few of us so we met up while we were doing that.

What did you find challenging about the course?

The challenging part was completing my Level 2 Maths. I’ve never really been a maths person, but you need it to complete the course and I failed it the first time, but then the second time, when I passed, it was a weight off my shoulders.

The course included an exam and I’m not really a fan of exams. I had to just try and get everything into my head. Apart from that, I wouldn’t say anything was particularly challenging because I got the support I needed from Rod so it was just a case of me going back and putting everything I needed into the assignments.

How did the college support you during your course?

I had different tutors for maths, the apprenticeship assignments and the End Point Assessment interview. They all assisted me and provided me with the information I needed. It really encouraged me to keep going and complete the course.

How did your workplace support you during the course?

The support network at work was amazing. My workplace and my manager were both so supportive with anything I needed such as time to focus on the assignments. I like to do things myself and stand on my own two feet, but I knew that support was always there.

How did you find the assessment for the course?

Anytime I hear the word ‘exam’, I feel the pressure. Obviously I knew what I was revising for, but there was a lot to cover. Once I’d put it into my head and practised and revised, it wasn’t so bad. It wasn’t a walk in the part but it was definitely a weight off my shoulders when it was finished.

It’s good to have nerves though. It shows how keen you are and how much you’re concentrating. I’m more of a practical person, so I was more relaxed in the interview because I knew what I was doing on a daily basis and I had a good idea of what to expect.

How has the course helped you in your current role?

The apprenticeship course has helped in many ways because I now understand what’s involved in Facilities Management. It’s helped me understand my workplace from within, knowing more about what different roles and departments are and how they connect with the facilities team. I’m always engaging with different departments, from IT to Business Development and Marketing, so it’s just about communicating with them, having positive interactions and building a network that will support you.

What advice would you give to anyone thinking about doing the course?

Go for it! Doing an apprenticeship can get challenging at times but, for me, it was the right pathway to gain knowledge. I was already involved in facilities so it made sense for me to do something related to that. I think that it’s good to get into things gradually because if you overburden yourself, it’s going to be too much pressure. Going into the course, I had a good idea of what to expect but doing the course helped me understand why Facilities Management is important within any organisation or company.

What next for you?

I’m not sure what challenge I want to take on next. Whatever it is, I’ll do it slowly but surely and see what comes up within the organisation. I get brilliant support from my manager and it’s a great organisation I work for. I’ll see what opportunities come my way and if the next big step for my career comes along, then I’ll take it.

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