Embracing remote learning: How our online apprenticeships make learning accessible

We talked to one of our students with a vast and varied learning background about his experience of completing the fully remote Level 4 Facilities Management Apprenticeship.

With more and more learning taking place online, it’s always interesting to hear about the challenges and benefits faced by online apprenticeship students.

We spoke to Mr Adenaike, a Regional Facilities Manager at Savills who completed the 2-year online Level 4 Facilities Management Apprenticeship.

How did you come to do an apprenticeship?

I saw the opportunity at Savills to be part of the apprenticeship. Initially, I ignored it because I thought apprenticeships were for younger people aged 15 to 25 but then I decided to make enquiries and applied for it. Initially, they [my employer] declined as they thought I had a general knowledge of what they were going to be teaching me. From what I’d read about the apprenticeship, the main purpose was to widen your knowledge to be able to progress in any career path. I pointed out that certain positions will require more in-depth knowledge for me to progress and they reconsidered and approved the course.

What motivation did you have for doing an apprenticeship?

I used to have a line manager who managed a lot more portfolios on multiple sites. He moved around a lot and had more flexibility with scheduling his own diary. I liked the flexibility he had, so I spoke with him, and he was quite supportive. Moving up the ladder in the property management field was also part of my motivation.

What were you doing before you started the apprenticeship?

I was working as a site manager for Savills and managing one portfolio of retail property which consisted of 25 units in Hertsmere in Hertfordshire.

I have a vast educational background, with quite a few degrees. My first degree was in Geology and Mining. Property management was something I came into in around 2011 and I joined Savills in around 2015. Initially, I joined as a support to a regional facilities manager looking after one particular site and then I became a site manager in around 2018.

Why did you choose to study with us? 

Once I’d chosen the course I wanted to go on, my employer gave me a choice of a few colleges that offered the same apprenticeship. They’d had previous engagements with the college and thought it would be the quickest route for me to get started.

What did you like about the course?

I love challenges and I love having knowledge about a lot of things. I love the confidence that knowledge gives you that you’re doing something appropriately. I like to challenge myself educationally, to get more information about things – and if I can acquire qualifications as a by-product, then why not?

How did you feel that the course supported you?

I couldn’t have asked for more. I had more than enough support from the tutor and the management. Wherever I had challenges, all I needed to do was pick up a phone and give them a call and I got all the support I needed.

Were there many people in your cohort?

I think we started with around ten people, and that dropped down to about seven because some people dropped out as they didn’t require the course any more. The cohort was the best part of the course, because it brings all the people from all the different fields and areas together, and everybody can share their experiences. You get a little insight into how it’s done elsewhere.

How did studying remotely benefit you or challenge you?

For me, it was the only way I could have done it because I was working. Obviously, I had the support from my employer and they gave me the time to work on it and I sometimes worked on it at home. It was the only way I could have got it done. If not, I would have had to stop working or go elsewhere. I think it was the best for me personally. 

I’d always thought that I preferred to be in [an in-person] class, to be able to speak with people. But with the technology used and the way the course was done, it didn’t feel like I was outside of the class. It felt like I was in class with the rest of my cohort.

What aspect of the apprenticeship did you enjoy the most?

I enjoyed the classes the most because I was able to ask questions and listen to other people’s questions. I was also able to hear people answer questions, with the answer not necessarily coming from the tutor, but from other colleagues in the group.

To what extent was the course directly relevant to your job?

Well, I think it’s all centred around what I was doing. I got to know the reasons why things had to be done a certain way, and I learned more about the background, legislation and regulations behind things that I was already doing. 

Were there any particular challenges that you experienced?

The challenge I experienced was in the aspect of budgeting. Managing properties and budgeting for different things was a big challenge because it was a particular field I was not exposed to prior to the course. With the support from the college and the tutor, I was able to overcome that challenge, and I think it was my strongest point in the assessment. 

What role are you doing at the moment?

Before I was even halfway through the course, with the knowledge I had got at that point, I was able to apply for a Regional Facilities Manager role. The knowledge from the course came in very useful during the interview, and I was able to get the new role I applied for – so I’m currently a Regional Facilities Manager.

What advice would you give anyone thinking about an apprenticeship?

Start now. Also, if you want to do it properly, it takes quite a lot of personal learning and reading. I didn’t think it was going to be that time-consuming, but it took up quite a lot of my time. I like to do things to the best of my ability so because of that, I did a lot of writing and learning, and that took quite a lot of time. It was all worth it in the end.

Also, something that a lot of people don’t realise is that apprenticeships are open to older people. It’s not just people aged 15 to 25 or under the age of 30 or 40 that are eligible to do an apprenticeship.

What’s next for you?

I currently have a portfolio of about 34 properties, so I want to challenge myself further. I’m looking at maybe doing the NEBOSH qualifications so I can look at some aspects currently not covered under my Facilities Management qualification.

Apprenticeship training with Capital City College

Flexible and accessible learning is just one of the many benefits of completing an apprenticeship. We offer a wide range of apprenticeship training online and in person, so speak to your employer about training with us.

If you’re currently unemployed and are interested in completing an apprenticeship, take a look at our apprenticeship vacancies.

If you’re working in Facilities Management and interested in completing qualifications to support and further your career, then take a look at our Facilities Management courses.

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