PARS Case Studies
Want to know why others have gained their PARS award, and what it means to them? Look no further!
Want to know why others have gained their PARS award, and what it means to them? Look no further!
Apprenticeship title and level completed: Operations/Departmental Manager Level 5
Company where you completed your apprenticeship: Umbrella Training
Most recent job title: Careers & Talent Director
What motivated you to apply for PARS?
I wanted to be recognised for my achievement in getting the level 5.
How do you believe participating in PARS has or will contribute to your professional development and career growth?
It provides a platform for every apprentice to strive toward and makes your achievements shine.
What advice would you offer to apprentices seeking to apply for the scheme?
Apply! The post-nominals you receive add a marker of achievement to your name.
Apprenticeship title and level completed: Level 7 Accountancy Degree Apprenticeship
Company where you completed your apprenticeship: Siemens plc
Most recent job title: External Relations Assistant
What motivated you to apply for PARS?
Getting the recognition for completing the apprenticeship side, by which I mean all the extra bits, such as skills, behaviours and the network of people you gain from studying through the apprenticeship route.
How do you believe participating in PARS has or will contribute to your professional development and career growth?
I’m proud to have completed an apprenticeship and highlight it with the same importance of finishing a degree. For me, it’s important to clearly show the apprenticeship badge as a reminder of all the hard work and amazing things I’ve accomplished on the scheme.
Apprenticeship title and level completed: Associate Project Manager, Level 4
Company where you completed your apprenticeship: Via East Midlands
Most recent job title: Programme Management, Strategy, and Risk Intern at the Cabinet Office
What motivated you to apply for PARS?
I wanted recognition for the transferable skills I developed. Whilst the knowledge, skills, and behaviours for my apprenticeship standard did include interdisciplinary competencies, PARS is not focused on your industry-specific abilities, but your character, for example, your resilience, standards, integrity, and contribution to the wider community.
How do you believe participating in PARS has or will contribute to your professional development and career growth?
Post-nominals for former apprentices will hopefully be the start of an inflection point to equivalence of apprenticeships with the traditional route, from an employer’s perspective.
Apprenticeship title and level completed: Level 2 Supply Chain Warehouse Operative with Business Improvement Techniques NVQ
Company where you completed your apprenticeship: Amazon UK Services Ltd
Most recent job title: Fulfilment Centre Associate
What motivated you to apply for PARS?
As an apprentice, I was motivated to apply for PARS for several reasons. I wanted acknowledgement of my hard work, achievements, and skills gained during my apprenticeship. It will also help with career advancement; the opportunity to enhance my CV and increase my chances of securing better job opportunities and promotions. PARS will help with my personal development as it gave me a chance to reflect on my apprenticeship journey, celebrate my progress, and set new goals for the future.
Being recognised as a PARS achiever reflects positively on my employer and demonstrates the quality of my apprenticeship programme. It also has a broader community impact, contributing to a culture of excellence within the apprenticeship community and inspiring future apprentices.
How do you believe participating in PARS has or will contribute to your professional development and career growth?
Being acknowledged as a PARS achiever enhances my CV, making me more competitive in the job market and increasing my chances of securing desirable roles. I believe it will also open doors to career advancement opportunities, including promotions, salary increases, and access to higher-level roles within their industry.
Being featured as a PARS achiever increases my visibility within my industry, and helps me build my personal brand as a skilled professional in my field.
Participating in PARS will have a positive effect on my professional development, paving the way for long-term career success and fulfilment.
What advice would you offer to apprentices seeking to apply for the scheme?
Reflect on your apprenticeship experience and celebrate your journey.
Apprenticeship title and level completed: Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship (Level 6)
Company where you completed your apprenticeship: BT
Most recent job title: Digital Marketing Campaign Manager
What motivated you to apply for PARS?
I was nominated to apply by the Early Careers HR team in my organisation, having recently completed my apprenticeship. Straight away, I recognised that being part of the pilot scheme was a brilliant opportunity to not only reflect on my personal apprenticeship experience but to also contribute to the future recognition and appreciation of apprenticeship qualifications in the UK, as well as helping to guide others that are exploring similar career pathways.
How do you believe participating in PARS has or will contribute to your professional development and career growth?
The scheme has helped to build an awareness of the skills and behaviours that I developed during my programme, and I feel that there is already an increased appreciation of apprenticeships within my organisation. More broadly, PARS elevates the apprenticeship pathway to people who feel unsuited to the traditional university route.
In terms of career growth, the scheme enables me to be involved in the apprenticeship community going forward and network with others who have followed a similar path, sharing ideas, experiences, and perspectives. As awareness for PARS grows, we will see organisations continue to recognise the impact of apprentices and invest in these programs which further validates an apprenticeship as a strong competency, which will positively impact future career opportunities across a range of industries.
What advice would you offer to apprentices seeking to apply for the scheme?
Go for it! PARS is a great way to round-off your apprenticeship experience, by reflecting on your development, as well as providing a great opportunity to stay connected with the wider community as your career progresses.
Apprenticeship title and level completed: Level 6 – Digital & Technology Solutions, Software Engineering pathway
Company where you completed your apprenticeship: Thales
Most recent job title: UX Designer at OneFile
What motivated you to apply for PARS?
Apprenticeships provide learners not only with a qualification, but also with a wealth of personal and professional development. Skills such as confidence in the workplace; time management between conflicting priorities; and industry processes, are unique to the experience of completing an apprenticeship.
PARS recognises the growth obtained from the unique challenge of being an apprentice. I wanted to be able to highlight the skills I bring as an employee, having completed my apprenticeship. I also wanted to be able to support other apprentices through PARS going forward, so that they can showcase the development from their apprenticeship journey too.
How do you believe participating in PARS has or will contribute to your professional development and career growth?
I hope PARS will contribute to my career growth by highlighting the unique skills I bring as an employee, having completed an apprenticeship. As the scheme grows, I hope employers begin to recognise the unique qualities of candidates carrying the PARS post-nominals; therefore enabling apprentices to progress their careers without the existing negative judgement, and displaying the benefits and value of apprenticeships to employers.
What advice would you offer to apprentices seeking to apply for the scheme?
The process of applying for PARS was simple and straightforward. Should you want any help or advice with your application, you will be able to reach out to myself and the other apprentices carrying their post-nominals through AoA Connect!
Jan is the CEO of Occupational Awards Limited, a Director of the National Skills Academy for Food and Drink and an FE College Governor. She has over 35 years’ experience in the education sector in strategic and operational management of training programmes with colleges, private training providers, local authorities the voluntary sector and not for profit organisations. Jan has previously been a board member of the Learning and Skills Council, chair of the North Yorkshire Training Provider network and Vice-Chair of Yorkshire Coast College and a Governor of the Grimsby Institute for Further and Higher Education. She has extensive experience of education policy, apprenticeships, qualification, and curriculum development as well as business improvement.
Jan joined OAL in 2019, a leading non-profit industry-focused Awarding and End-Point Assessment Organisation, supporting a wide range of employers and of key stakeholders to succeed and surpass expectations. Jan is committed to continuous improvement and enthusiastic about improving the effectiveness, impact and quality of apprenticeships, education, and training in the UK and internationally. She has a wide range of experience of working in a collaborative context with employers and training providers to develop End Point Assessment, apprenticeships, and a wide range of vocational programmes.
