My name is Mariola Balczerowska. I am 33 and I live in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.

I work full-time at Arla Foods in Aylesbury dairy, which is the world’s biggest fresh milk processing site. Since January 2019, I have been seconded to the site senior management team as a production and technology development manager.

I completed a level 3 team leader apprenticeship in March 2019 with the distinction mark. My course, called ATLAS (Arla Team Leader Apprenticeship Programme) was designed for Arla Foods by Encompass Development with the Chartered Management Institute and Leadership Pipeline Institute to upskill team leaders in leadership and people management skills. 

My employer set up the apprenticeship to develop employees with exceptional performance, and I was offered the 12-month course as part of my development plan. I decided that it would be a perfect opportunity for me to gain broader knowledge in people management and leadership. 

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Exceeding expectations

I expected the apprenticeship to give me theoretical knowledge about the organisation and people management. It exceeded my expectations as it offered not only theory but also a lot of practice, including on-the-job assignments and networking sessions. The course was delivered in the form of workshops, as well as online learning and assignments linked to my work.  

We were also required to lead a project with a financial budget and project team reporting to us. I’m not going to lie - it was not easy to do my day-to-day job and complete all the assignments. Fortunately, I learned about prioritisation of the workload on the course, so that helped me to plan all my activities and complete them on time. I also had a very supportive manager and my course tutor was always there to advise.

The course itself was designed to be flexible so you could mostly organise it around your work and life. My apprenticeship has helped to develop my leadership potential and to excel in my role; I have used skills obtained during the programme to manage successful projects, improve my department by creating a high-performing team and to develop team leaders. I have also become a mentor for new apprentices.

Managing a department 

When I started my apprenticeship, I had been a team leader for just over a year. I was managing a department with 32 direct reports (five small shifts) and was reporting to the production area manager. My role was to oversee day-to-day operations, people management, cooperation with third parties to ensure key performance indicator adherence (financially and operationally). My work and apprenticeship achievements have been recognised and I was promoted to the senior management team in a role managing leadership development. My responsibilities were to organise and facilitate training and development for the team leaders and managers on site.

I held that position for 12 months, and then I was promoted to production and technology development manager responsible for driving site continuous improvement and governance of the site projects of the value of €11 million (£9.2 million). I am also mentoring four apprentices.

I really enjoy my job as it gives me opportunity to develop my skills and brings new challenges every day. I work with a great team of people from whom I can learn so much. My manager actively supports me with lots of great feedback as well as very clear expectations.

I feel that I am respected by other employees and I became a go-to person with issues related to people management and HR. I have become a role model for others who are seeking my support and advice - especially those who are currently on the apprenticeship programme.

My favourite part of the job is developing people, giving them feedback and watching them grow. I have a master’s degree in political science and governance, and I see that an apprenticeship can be much more beneficial for your development than a university degree. It gives you practical on-the-job experience, rather than just theoretical knowledge, prepares you better for your job and makes you more desirable for employers.

My family and friends were very supportive and proud that I decided to undertake an apprenticeship while working full-time. We knew it would be challenging but we also knew that it could really help my career prospects. I’m planning to continue my development through achieving level 5 in business management and, luckily, my employer has just finished developing the programme.

The apprenticeship I have undertaken gives you transferable leadership skills and that opens you up from being the specialist in your area to a leader who can take any leadership role on site. It increases your career prospects, including the possibility of promotion from team leader to more senior roles, which is what happened to me.

I would definitely recommend apprenticeships for young people who are just finishing school as well as people who are already working full-time. This route allows you to experience real work environments, get relevant knowledge and get a full-time job at the end or a promotion if you are already employed. It’s also a great financial opportunity - instead of paying university fees, you earn income while learning. I believe that apprenticeship graduates are more attractive for employers due to their knowledge and readiness to start new roles.

Mariola Balczerowska recently completed a level 3 team leader apprenticeship. She tells her story as part of the Tes #InspiringApprentices campaign