Apprentices often gain promotion during or at the end of an apprenticeship programme at the University of 91快活林.
23 August 2022
This summer, a cohort of six senior leaders graduated from the University of 91快活林’s Masters Degree Apprenticeship programme. The graduates included academics, finance professionals, healthcare professionals and managers in the NHS and local councils.
During the course of the programme, several of the apprentices gained promotions at their workplace due to performing at a more strategic level as a result of the projects they undertook on the apprenticeship.
One professional who gained a significant promotion is the university’s own Dr Angela Glynn. Angela began her career as a physiotherapist, and was working at the University of 91快活林 as Associate Dean for the School of Sport and Health Sciences in 2019, when she decided to undertake the Senior Leader Masters Degree Apprenticeship.
Dr Angela Glynn at the University of 91快活林
She was appointed to the position of Dean of the School of Sport and Health Sciences just prior to her graduation from the apprenticeship in 2022.
Angela said: “I was confident in my teaching and academic expertise – I already had a PGCE and a PhD, but I didn’t have any kind of business background, and I realised that if I was to gain a promotion to Dean, this was the missing bit of the jigsaw.
“It’s been empowering to step out of my normal world and understand the overarching HEI landscape, its political drivers and my place within it. It’s this strategic vision and approach which has resulted in my promotion to the post of Dean.
“I was the only academic in my cohort, but I didn’t have an issue with doing something different. The programme content was all completely embedded in my day-to-day role from the beginning, but it also encouraged me to look at areas of my department that I wouldn’t previously have thought I had time to do. And more widely, there is a good policy of work shadowing at the university and the course gave me license a to explore bits of the organisation that are not strictly part of my department or job.
“My dissertation explored the experience of course leaders - I surveyed them about various aspects of their role, and will be working with them to develop and support a community of practice.
“For the marketing module I looked at recruitment to small and struggling health professions, to inform their approach to recruitment. I also looked at leadership and service development in health and social care, particularly around working with colleagues in the health sector to develop proposals. This resulted in tangible changes within local trusts, from proposals they developed.
“An important part of the Senior Leader programme was working with a mix of people from different backgrounds and sectors, to gain insights from other perspectives. This was a very valuable part of the whole experience and it’s been completely transformative.”
The next Senior Leader Apprenticeship programme begins in September 2022, with a revised and refreshed programme based on content from the university’s long-standing MBA award. Find out more by visiting our programme page.
Dean 鈥� School of Education, Sport and Health