CMN got in touch with Lauren Brenton-Crabb who has recently undertaken a Marine Conservation Apprenticeship with Cornwall Wildlife Trust. You can read Lauren’s story in full here.
What do you do within the organisation?
At Cornwall Wildlife Trust, I am the Marine Conservation Apprentice and support the Marine Team with a variety of Marine projects, including Seaquest Southwest, Shoresearch Cornwall, The Marine Strandings Network and The Your Shore Network. This involves carrying out general administration tasks, creating social media posts, writing blogs and supporting the team in planning and delivering different events/activities.
What department/team are you working with?
The marine team.
What is the purpose of your role and how does it assist with the company’s mission?
The purpose of my role is to assist the marine team with general day-to-day tasks and jobs that they don’t always have the capacity to do. Therefore, my role helps to get important tasks done without them having to worry about who is doing it or if there is enough time!
Why did you choose the apprenticeship you’re currently studying?
Before doing my apprenticeship, I volunteered on Looe Island last summer. This was where I was lucky enough to meet the marine team and join in with some of their annual survey work when they visited the nature reserve. My experience on the island made me realise that a career in the conservation sector might be an option for me, particularly the marine sector. Working with and listening to the marine team talk about their jobs and their passion for the marine environment also made me eager to pursue it myself as I always had a keen interest in it growing up in Cornwall. The apprenticeship side of things also provided me with extremely useful transferrable skills that I was looking for after completing my degree and struggling to get into a simple entry level / graduate job. Being the Business administrator qualification, it allows you to delve into the world of business, looking at different topics based around the employee you work for, whilst enhancing other skills along the way, such as IT and communication skills.
“Working with and listening to the marine team talk about their jobs and their passion for the marine environment also made me eager to pursue it myself.”
What were you looking to achieve from this apprenticeship?
I was looking to become more confident in myself and what I can achieve. Once I had completed my degree, I knew I still wanted to do something educational, however I needed a break from university and so a masters or PGCE was not an option. Once I saw this advertised, I knew I had to go for it, I knew a mix of working and studying would really benefit me. It really provides you with so many useful skills whilst getting a qualification and getting paid!
What were your initial thoughts and expectations?
My initial thoughts were that this apprenticeship would be a step back for me due to completing my BSc degree at university. However, the apprenticeship application really appealed to me during the end of my volunteering position on Looe Island because it would enable me to achieve the apprenticeship in business administration, gaining fundamental transferrable skills for a future career in almost any sector and also being able to work part time with Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s marine team on several of their conservation projects was something I really wanted to be part of.
Which elements of your apprenticeship do you feel you have learnt the most?
Having never studied business at school or university, I have really learnt a lot about business and its key fundamentals. From learning more and being able to really understand my employer, to exploring external and internal factors impacting an organisation and relevant laws and regulations. It has been extremely interesting.
What do you feel you have gained from the apprenticeship?
I have gained core transferrable skills such as strong analytical and problem-solving skills, improved interpersonal and communication skills and also some project management skills.
“The skills you gain from the apprenticeship are extremely useful and will definitely help you stand out in future job applications.”
Would you recommend apprenticeships? If so, why?
I would recommend this apprenticeship because it is well delivered by your tutor who enables you to choose the best way you like to learn, the pace of delivery is also well planned and depending on your progress, you get plenty of time to complete assignments as they understand the many work commitments you face. The skills you gain from the apprenticeship are extremely useful and will definitely help you stand out in future job applications; this is also the case due to CMN offering some training opportunities for anything you want to gain experience in. For me, I did an excel intermediate course as data entry and sorting was a key part of my apprenticeship. Although I haven’t completed my apprenticeship yet, the assessment side of things are also not too bad …. I have completed all of my course assignments, with just project plans and end-point assessment to go – leaving me a while to add to my portfolio of evidence to make sure I have covered as much of the criteria as possible, which is very reassuring.
Have you enjoyed it?
I have really enjoyed my apprenticeship – don’t get me wrong it is a lot of work, particularly keeping on track with my apprenticeship work as well as my work for Cornwall wildlife Trust. Being an apprentice entails a lot of work beyond my job role, and I often find myself being extremely busy with multiple tasks to carry out during the week. However, I knew that in the long run this would benefit my career prospects and provide me with useful skills to move up in my career.
Are there any standout achievements?
Some standout achievements for me include being able to assist the marine team in organizing some of their annual events, including the Your Shore conference and National Marine Week. Doing this has provided me with great confidence to help lead the planning of any future events within any future job roles.
Another achievement is just being able to say I have achieved another qualification whilst being able to work with Cornwall Wildlife Trust and I am very grateful for the experience.
What are you plans post-apprenticeship?
My plan post-apprenticeship is to apply for jobs in the conservation/environmental sector where I can use the skills gained from my apprenticeship. The roles I will be applying for will include basic administration duties where my skills will come in extremely useful to myself and the employer.
“My apprenticeship has helped me in my career path because it has provided me with further transferrable skills.”
Has this apprenticeship helped you on your career path?
My apprenticeship has helped me in my career path because it has provided me with further transferrable skills and experience in a sector I hope to progress further into.
What progression routes are available?
There are many routes I could go down, I am hoping to be earning more money and so the next step would be an assistant or officer role, whereby I can hopefully progress onto higher roles thereafter.
If you could give one piece of advice to anyone thinking about apprenticeships, what would it be?
Give it a go! Everything is worth that application and your shot at doing well – university isn’t for everyone, and apprenticeships are a great way to gain a qualification whilst working with an organisation that appeals to you.
If you could go back and give one piece of advice to yourself before embarking on your apprenticeship journey, what would it be?
Consider an apprenticeship, they are extremely worthwhile and avoid most of the stresses that come with a degree.
