Amy Ryan, Senior Customer Relationship Manager at Educ8, recently completed the Digital Skills for Business apprenticeship through Aspire 2Be.
Working within a busy sales environment, Amy decided to enrol on the Digital Skills for Business qualification. Given her day-to-day use of tools such as Excel and other digital platforms, the programme offered a practical opportunity to strengthen and develop skills that were already an important part of her work.
Amy completed the apprenticeship in around 10 months, ahead of the expected 18-month timeframe. Her progress was supported by a clear focus on applying the learning to her role, as well as the guidance she received throughout the programme from her trainer coach.
A key part of Amy’s positive experience was the support she received from her trainer coach, Julia. Amy described Julia as knowledgeable, supportive and understanding. As Amy is dyslexic, Julia adapted her approach to suit Amy’s learning style, using verbal discussions where possible to help Amy demonstrate her knowledge and understanding in a method that worked for her. This personalised support helped make the qualification more accessible and gave Amy the confidence to progress through the course successfully.
Throughout the apprenticeship, Amy developed practical digital skills that continue to benefit her in her role. In particular, the Excel units helped her build confidence with formulas, graphs and tables, which she now uses to support lead tracking and create more visual ways of managing data.
Amy also developed a broader understanding of digital safety and awareness through the course, with a focus on areas such as cyber security and digital threats. The course helped her build a stronger foundation of digital knowledge, while also focusing on skills that could be applied immediately in her work.
Reflecting on her experience, Amy found the apprenticeship both supportive and useful. She spoke positively about the opportunity to continue learning and developing as an adult. The combination of practical learning, flexible support and real-world application helped her develop skills that continue to make a difference in her role.
