Your development

Ian previously worked as a Senior Case Worker. While his career had mostly been with older adults, he was looking for a change. So, when he saw the opportunity arise to undertake the apprenticeship, he applied.

As Ian had previous experience and qualifications, he was able to skip year one and gain a three-year qualification in two years.

As the apprenticeship was funded by the County Council, Ian earned a full-time wage and supported his family while getting a professional qualification. He also found that being able to put theory into practice and relate his work to his studies was helpful for his learning.

Here’s what he had to say:

"I wanted a change and the job at Hampshire County Council came up. For me it’s later in life, but a massive change all round. Life is completely different.

I had all-round support that I’ve never really experienced before. I felt very supported by Hampshire County Council, and my manager, my team and my supervisor. I’ve never had so much investment in me.

For anyone thinking about doing an apprenticeship, you’ve got nothing to lose. Go for it. The time flies and it’s an amazing opportunity."

Following the completion of his apprenticeship, Ian received ongoing support as a Newly Qualified Social Worker to progress through his Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) and will be supported with Continuous Professional Development throughout his career.

Sian was already working as a Support Worker at Hampshire County Council and wanted to become a Social Worker. She had considered the Step Up to Social Work programme and part-time university courses but was worried about the financial impact this would have on her life. So, she applied for an apprenticeship funded by the County Council knowing that she could get a qualification without having to take a pay cut.

Here’s what she had to say:

"I really liked my apprenticeship. It’s been perfect for me to be able to do it and still feel like I’m working and not panicking about the money side of things. It’s so entwined with what you’re doing day-to-day, which makes learning so much easier because you’re living and breathing everything you’re doing.

My supervisors were both amazing. I had really good support from everyone.

I loved being on the job, being on placement and being integrated into a team. I got to see all the different experiences of the other workers in the team.

I want to have a long career in social work and I wouldn’t have been able to do that without the apprenticeship. It’s given me a career and I plan to stay in Hampshire for as long as I can."

When Sian finished her apprenticeship, she received ongoing support as a Newly Qualified Social Worker to progress through her Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE).

Here’s what he had to say:

"When I started the job, my manager suggested this apprenticeship to me. So, I looked at it and then went from there really. In the wider Traffic Management Team there’s 15 or 16 people doing the course now.

While my apprenticeship doesn’t directly relate to what I do, it gave me a really good base knowledge of everything and how things work together. There are things now that I wouldn’t have spotted before that I’m now noticing more thanks to the course.

It’s been really helpful to speak to people and see how they do things and reach certain decisions. The networking has been very good and it’s a great place to ask questions about things you’re not sure about.

For anyone thinking about doing an apprenticeship, I would say do it. It’s a nice change of pace."

Russ works as a Principal Traffic and Safety Engineer for Hampshire County Council.

As Belinda was already working as part of the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub as a Senior Case Worker, becoming a Social Worker felt like a natural progression. When she heard of the apprenticeship through internal communications, she initially lacked the confidence to apply. However, with support and encouragement from her supervisor, she was accepted on to the programme.

Here’s what she had to say:

"It’s a great opportunity, good confidence booster and I’m grateful to the County Council for offering it to me. If they hadn’t offered me the apprenticeship, then I wouldn’t have ever been able to achieve this degree.

I’ve met loads of people that work for the County Council through the apprenticeship, and we’ve built new friendships and a support system. It’s also provided me with a strong set of knowledge to be able to make sure I can help people.

Hampshire County Council is really good at supporting their apprentices. They gave us the time we needed to be able to fulfil our coursework, exams, studies and everything else.

To anyone thinking of doing an apprenticeship, I’d say go for it. You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain."

Following the completion of her apprenticeship, Belinda received ongoing support as a Newly Qualified Social Worker to progress through her Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE).