{"id":16942,"date":"2026-03-31T15:20:55","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T14:20:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/workingfordevon\/?post_type=wd_case_study&#038;p=16942"},"modified":"2026-03-31T15:45:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T14:45:17","slug":"andy","status":"publish","type":"wd_case_study","link":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/workingfordevon\/casestudy\/andy\/","title":{"rendered":"Andy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>What is your name and current job title?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>My name is Andy Waite, and I am a County Business Manager at Devon County Council.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Which apprenticeship are you completing and at what level?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I am currently studying the <strong>Level 6 Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship<\/strong>, which combines academic learning with practical leadership and management experience within my role at Devon County Council.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>How has the apprenticeship helped you grow personally and professionally?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The apprenticeship has been instrumental in helping me step back and reflect on how I lead, make decisions, and support others. Professionally, it has strengthened my ability to think strategically, link theory to real\u2011world challenges, and take a more evidence\u2011based approach to problem\u2011solving.<\/p>\n<p>On a personal level, it has increased my confidence as a leader, encouraged me to challenge my own assumptions, and helped me become more self\u2011aware in how I communicate and influence across the organisation.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>What skills have you developed so far?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Through the apprenticeship, I have developed a broad range of skills, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Strategic thinking and planning<\/li>\n<li>Leadership and people management<\/li>\n<li>Financial and operational decision\u2011making<\/li>\n<li>Change management and continuous improvement<\/li>\n<li>Critical analysis and reflective practice<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These skills have had a direct and positive impact on how I lead teams, manage complex workloads, and contribute to organisational priorities.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>What support do you receive from your employer and training provider?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Devon County Council has been extremely supportive throughout my apprenticeship, particularly through protected learning time, encouragement from senior leaders, and opportunities to apply learning directly within my role.<\/p>\n<p>The training provider has also offered strong academic and pastoral support, ensuring that learning is relevant, well\u2011structured, and clearly linked to real workplace practice.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Would you recommend an apprenticeship to others? Why?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Absolutely. I would strongly recommend an apprenticeship to others. It provides the opportunity to gain a recognised qualification while continuing to work, and it allows learning to be immediately applied in a practical and meaningful way.<\/p>\n<p>For anyone looking to develop their skills, confidence, and career within the organisation, an apprenticeship is a highly effective route.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Is there anything else you\u2019d like to add about your apprenticeship experience?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Overall, the apprenticeship has been a genuinely rewarding experience. It has challenged me in positive ways, supported my professional growth, and reinforced the value of continuous learning. I am proud to be completing this programme while contributing to the important work of Devon County Council.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"casestudy_category":[18,2,69],"class_list":["post-16942","wd_case_study","type-wd_case_study","status-publish","hentry","wd_casecat-apprentices-and-graduates","wd_casecat-apprenticeships","wd_casecat-transformation-business-services"],"acf":{"job_title":"County Business Manager","area_of_work":"Countywide Business Support - People Place and Corporate Services"},"category_details":[{"id":18,"name":"Apprentices and Graduates","slug":"apprentices-and-graduates","link":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/workingfordevon\/casestudy\/category\/apprentices-and-graduates\/"},{"id":2,"name":"Apprenticeships","slug":"apprenticeships","link":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/workingfordevon\/casestudy\/category\/apprenticeships\/"},{"id":69,"name":"Transformation &amp; Business Services","slug":"transformation-business-services","link":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/workingfordevon\/casestudy\/category\/transformation-business-services\/"}],"featured_image":false,"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/workingfordevon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/casestudy\/16942","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/workingfordevon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/casestudy"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/workingfordevon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/wd_case_study"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/workingfordevon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/casestudy\/16942\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16944,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/workingfordevon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/casestudy\/16942\/revisions\/16944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/workingfordevon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16942"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"wd_casecat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/workingfordevon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/casestudy_category?post=16942"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}