Interview with an Apprentice: Helen Dixon

To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week (5-11 February), we caught up with a former CCCG Apprentice to find out about her motivation, experience and outcomes.

If you’re considering an apprenticeship, you may well be wondering what the life of an Apprentice is really like. We interviewed Helen Dixon, who recently completed the Facilities Management Level 4 Apprenticeship, which includes a Level 4 Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM) qualification.

Facilities Management (often known as FM) is a profession that encompasses multiple disciplines to ensure that a built environment functions correctly – through the integration of people, place, process and technology. Facilities Management includes diverse disciplines such as:

• Health and Safety
• Fire Safety
• Security
• Maintenance
• Cleaning
• Grounds Maintenance
• Caretaking
• Property Management
• Business Continuity
• Space Allocation
• Change Management

Helen worked in various roles in Facilities Management for around 20 years before deciding to do an apprenticeship with Capital City College Group (CCCG). At the time, she was working for CBRE, a global leader in commercial real estate services and investment, as an Area Facilities Manager for North Wales. She completed her apprenticeship remotely between June 2021 and July 2023.

Why did you decide to do an apprenticeship?

Helen: It was something that had been in the back of my mind to do. I was just waiting for the right opportunity to come along and this seemed like a good option – a good way of formalising all the knowledge and work that I’d accumulated in my previous FM roles.

How long was your apprenticeship?

Helen: The apprenticeship training was originally 14 months long but it took me just over 2 years due to a family bereavement. They were very good at being understanding and letting me have the extra time I needed.

Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship over another type of course?

Helen: I chose it because I could do it through work and it allowed me eight hours a week to devote to coursework and reading – limiting the amount of my own free time I had to spend on it. The government covered the course fees which was also a bonus. I’m much older than most people would envision an Apprentice – when you think of an Apprentice you think of someone who’s just left school and is just starting out on the road to work. 

How was the apprenticeship training structured?

Helen: We’d have a monthly lecture or workshop with our tutor, Rod, where we’d cover a certain topic. Then he’d send out slides and we’d get an assignment. You usually have about six weeks to two months to complete the assignment.

How often did you get to speak with your tutor?

Helen: I’d have a fortnightly one-to-one meeting with Rod to discuss progress or any issues. He could see how I was getting on and see if I needed any help. We also had a quarterly meeting with my manager so they could be kept informed about how I was doing and see that the time off I was given to do the training was worthwhile.

What did you like about your apprenticeship?

Helen: It was a really good way to meet other people working in similar roles. Although we all had very similar job titles our roles were very different – some people worked for local councils, some people worked for really massive organisations and some people worked for really small organisations. It was good to compare and contrast what other people were doing and how they approached different problems.

Why did you choose this apprenticeship in particular?

Helen: It was always something I was keen on doing. For me, it was about trying to take the next step up the ladder. It was also about formalising what I’d learnt in the past 15 to 20 years. The IWFM diploma, particularly Level 4, is a really good qualification to have in the FM world. It’s one you can build on as well so there’s always the opportunity to go back and get Level 5 or Level 6.

What are you doing now?

Helen: In September last year, I noticed a job advertised in my local area, which is rare. I applied, not really thinking that it would go much further because it was quite a big step up for me. I ended up getting the job and now I work at Kimberly Clarke. Whereas before, I was just in charge of a team of engineers, I now have a catering team, an engineering team and a cleaning team to manage. I’d like to think that the IWFM qualification contributed to that.

What would you say to anyone thinking about doing an apprenticeship? 

Helen: I think it’s a great opportunity to learn while you’re still working. If your job is willing to let you take those eight hours a week to put towards your reading and your coursework, I’d say it’s definitely a worthwhile thing to do. Once you’ve completed it and got your final diploma or certificate, I think it gives you an edge when it comes to applying for roles or promotions.

What advice would you give to anyone who is about to embark upon an apprenticeship?

Helen: Speaking from experience, I’d definitely say, stay on top of your coursework, because it can be very hard to catch up. Sometimes you’ve got two months to write 4000 words, but if you’ve got a lot going on at home or sometimes after a long working week you don’t feel like sitting down and writing an essay, that time can dwindle away quite easily.

What were the challenges of doing the apprenticeship?

Helen: The main challenge was staying on top of coursework. Although I used the apprenticeship to cement the knowledge that I already had, there were aspects of it where I had very limited knowledge, for example, FM budgets. So it was a case of going out and finding out that information, whether it was talking to someone in the finance department in my organisation or someone else on the apprenticeship training who dealt a bit more with that side of things. There were still things that I didn’t know and I could learn from the training.

Did you enjoy it?

Helen: I did enjoy it, I really did. It can be a bit daunting sometimes. I hadn’t sat down and written an essay since I was at university, so a good 15 to 20 years before starting the training. I felt a bit out of my depth at first, remembering how to do Harvard referencing and that kind of thing, but after a couple of essays, you get back into it.

Your apprenticeship was conducted remotely. Was there a sense of community within your cohort?

Helen: I think so. We had our sessions with Rod, where we’d sometimes break out into groups. We also met up for sessions outside of that if we wanted to share knowledge. It was useful to get a wide range of ideas and speak to others to find out how they’d approach things.

Everyone was approachable enough so that you could contact them or email them if you were a bit stuck with something they were particularly good at. Sometimes, Rod would put you in touch with someone within the apprenticeship training who knew more about a subject so that you could have a chat or share information with them. 

What’s next for you?

Helen: I started this role about three months ago so, at the moment, I see my future here. I’d like to spend a bit of time here and get to know this site and how to make it effective. I was surprised by how quickly it all happened and I’m glad I made the move – it makes me feel like all of the hard work was worthwhile. I’d like to think that in the future I’ll pursue the next level of the IWFM diploma Level 5 or Level 6.

Helen’s apprenticeship experience helped her consolidate what she knew and led her to the next step in her career. Our apprenticeships are for learners from all backgrounds and at any stage in their careers. 

If you’re interested in earning while you learn, and gaining new skills and knowledge while progressing within your organisation or career path, why not apply for apprenticeship training?

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