Claire’s inspiration to start her apprenticeship journey came from wanting to make a real difference at work, but also to enhance her own skill set, something that was a real challenge for someone who hadn’t been in formal education for nearly 30 years. She shared with the judges how the apprenticeship has truly changed her life, giving her confidence, patience and empathy, as well as essential time management and delegation skills, benefitting not only her own development, but also the development of her team. She now sits on 3 inclusion groups at Shepherd Neame and admits that she has completely changed her approach to managing her team in a more democratic and caring way, which has been transformational. Now halfway through her Level 6 after completing her Level 5 Operations Department Manager, Claire’s apprenticeship has made her realise that development is not limited to age or experience.
