Apprentice Wednesday – Staff Spotlight: Martin Owen 

As part of National Apprenticeship Week 2025, we caught up with Martin to chat about his Apprenticeship journey.  

As well as supporting students and managing the College Services Team, Martin is completing a Level 5 Operations Manager Apprenticeship. As we are celebrating National Apprenticeship Week 2025, we caught up with Martin to learn more about his time as an Apprentice and how this has positively impacted his role.  

How has your apprenticeship helped you progress in your current role?   

The Apprenticeship is built around assignment work covering a wide range of different subjects such as Principles of Management and Leadership, budgeting and managing change. Alongside the assignments and the work that I do on a day-to-day basis I will also stretch and challenge myself with projects and other tasks outside my usual job role. This in turn enhances my own experience and knowledge of management and leadership. 
 
What support do you receive during your apprenticeship?   

Throughout the Apprenticeship there has been excellent support from the tutor Ian Yardley and my Assessor Nemesia Willis.  The Apprenticeship programme is very well set out with class input sessions each month.  Alongside this there, alternating each month there are assessor and review meetings.  For both the classroom and meetings the feedback is clear and concise and you are directed on a clear path to achieve the goal of completing the qualification.  There is also ongoing support from CMI throughout the apprenticeship allowing me to access a wealth of knowledge at the touch of a button. 
 
How do you juggle apprenticeship work and your job role?  

Through my apprenticeship, I am given 20% off-the-job time to complete the qualification. Balancing this with my regular work schedule can be challenging. However, tasks completed during the workweek can count towards fulfilling certain criteria required for the qualification. 
 
How do you felt about returning to learning? How did you overcome this?  

Luckily, I studied a Level 3 Apprenticeship qualification with the college a little while ago.  The experience of completing that qualification helped me to understand what the Level 5 qualification would require in order to complete it. However, the support available with regular reviews and assessor meetings has kept me focussed throughout my time as an Apprentice. 
 
What is your favourite part about your Apprenticeship? 

My favourite part of the apprenticeship has been the opportunity to network with others on the course and the support I’ve received from Ian and Nemesia. Sharing experiences and learning best practices from my peers has helped me grow as a more confident manager and leader within both my team and the broader business unit. 

What would your advice be to anyone considering an Apprenticeship? 

The Apprenticeship has greatly boosted my confidence as a manager. The process of studying different theorists through assignments has equipped me with various problem-solving approaches, which has transformed how I handle different situations. I would highly recommend an apprenticeship to anyone looking to take the next step in their career or seeking to enhance their skills and experience in their current role. 

Are you interested in taking the next step in your career? Check out the Apprenticeships we can offer you through EKC Training and take control of your future.