Apprenticeships case studies & testimonials

Portsmouth City Council
“My tutor's help with preparing me for the end point assessment (EPA) was valuable as I was guided to the specific areas in the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that would relate to both papers and select relevant scenarios to add additional context to my answers.

"The encouragement and belief in me was invaluable, especially when I lacked this in myself.

"Huge thanks again to my tutors for all the support and guidance."

Michele Clifton (Portsmouth City Council)

Phillips & Cohen Associates
“In the current environment where some industries are facing unemployment and others have major skills shortages, there has never been a better opportunity to re-skill and up-skill people in specialist areas of financial services, providing an accessible long term career pathway from entry level upwards. Working with our trusted industry association on the delivery of the CSA Level 3 Advanced Credit Controller and Debt Collection Specialist standard is enabling us to cost effectively upskill existing and new employees to the highest standards for the long term. As an industry and as a business, we have always believed in the importance of investing in our people. The better skilled our people are, the better the customer outcomes will be, and this is fundamental to our business.”
Nick Cherry, CSA Board Director and Chief Operating Officer at CSA member company Phillips & Cohen Associates

HFS
"I learnt a lot from completing my Level 3 Advanced Credit Controller and Debt Collection Specialist apprenticeship and have found it very useful. It was a lot of studying whilst also working full time, but passing the qualification made it all worthwhile. I had a lot of support from my tutor at the CSA and she was always contactable even on weekends and bank holidays. I found that she was very willing to help me when I was unsure of things and would spend the time making sure I understood relevant topics."
Katherine Harris (HFS)

Lowell
“Shortly after deciding to leave university, I came across a role at Lowell in the Customer Engagement Centre. At the time, I understood little about the collections industry, but I could see that this entry level role had the potential to open doors for me. The role gave me a unique insight into how collections firms work and what kind of circumstances customers are facing, and it quickly became evident that the widely-held perceptions about ‘debt collectors’ were not like the reality.

"After a few months, I came across an apprenticeship role in the UK risk function. This was a unique opportunity to carve a career pathway in a fascinating area of technical expertise while learning on the job through a Level 3 Compliance Risk Apprenticeship delivered by our industry trade body, the Credit Services Association (CSA). As soon as I started in the new apprentice role, my mindset switched from that of a student to that of a young professional and it kick-started what has so far been a hugely rewarding and successful career. I have been fortunate enough to progress into a Risk Analyst role, where working in a fast-paced environment means no two days are the same. I would highly recommend both a career in the collections and debt purchase sector and apprenticeships to those looking for a rewarding job where they can make a real difference to people’s lives while fast-tracking their own career in a professional, innovative industry.”
Phoebe Backhouse, Risk Analyst at Lowell

Read the full case study here: Lowell case study

Sofology
“As a "mature" learner I was nervous about undertaking a Level 3 Apprenticeship programme, however after my first Workshop with Barbara Stephenson my outlook was one of excitement and anticipation. The nerves soon went as Barbara explained the process, learning outcomes and how I would reach the end goal of obtaining my qualifications both as a Level 3 Compliance Risk Officer and also the ICA International Advanced Certificate in Regulatory Compliance.

"As my journey has gone on, I find myself excited about attending Workshops and the virtual classrooms that we attend to embed what we have been learning. I am already using my new-found knowledge and skills in my current role as Compliance Team Leader within the department and business as a whole. My confidence has grown significantly, and I have been proactive in seeking out opportunities within the business to provide evidence for my portfolio to show that I have achieved the learning outcomes expected.

"My experience so far has been amazing, and I am looking forward to the end result and showing that mature learners do have the ability to learn and achieve excellence with the help and support of fantastic tutors. I would recommend the Apprenticeship to anybody who is looking to further their career within Risk & Compliance.

"An all-round amazing journey!"
Sharon Jamieson, Compliance Assurance Team Leader at Sofology

iPSL
“With our vision to be a leading digital processing business in the UK, we have a range of challenges, not least ensuring that our colleagues across the business have up-to-the-minute skills.

“We were already engaged with the CSA on risk training so when the Counter Fraud Investigator Apprenticeship was recommended to us, it was the perfect fit. Our Senior Fraud Manager, Alan Rushforth, started the apprenticeship programme in April 2020 and has gained a huge amount of knowledge. Based on his experience of the programme, he recommended two other colleagues to join the programme to further bolster their capability.”
Katrina Flunder, Learning & Engagement Partner at iPSL

Read the full case study here: iPSL case study
AXA
"AXA has historically invested in upskilling its staff through various professional qualifications, and when I came across the CSA Counter Fraud standard, all the content listed was completely relevant to what my staff do on a day-to-day basis.

“The level of support from the CSA really sets it aside in my opinion. The big difference I see is around the dedicated one-to-one time offered with CSA apprenticeships. Why this is important is because it gives people the opportunity, if they are maybe nervous or unsure and don’t want to openly express this or a lack of knowledge in a group scenario, to do this in a closed, comfortable environment."
Tom Wilson, Senior Counter Fraud Manager at AXA

Read the full case study here: AXA case study

APHA
“This CSA standard was actually a first for the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and this initiative created a non-degree entry route to becoming a professional Plant Health and Seeds Inspector (PHSI).

“Not only has my professional life benefitted from completing this Apprenticeship, so has my personal life. I’ve taken on things in my day-to-day life that I never would have taken on before.
"I am dyslexic which obviously comes with its challenges. I was concerned about accessibility due to my dyslexia and how it might affect me submitting coursework and sitting exams etc. But the CSA had this covered.

“If I had to pick out the best part of doing a CSA Apprenticeship I would probably link it to the fact that you do it at the same time as doing your day-to-day job. The learning I gained while on the course and then how I was able to tailor that to my day-to-day tasks, felt very rewarding.
Viginie Lambertucci, Plant Health and Seed Import Inspector (APHA)

Read the full case study here: Virgini case study case study

Walsall Council
“We have 400 apprentices across the Council and work with 60 different training providers, 14 of which deal with the majority of our apprenticeships. CSA is one of our ‘niche providers’ which are really important to us to ensure that, where specialist expertise is needed, it is built into the programme and delivery. Regulatory Compliance is one such area where having a specialist provider is really beneficial."
Helena Baxter, Apprenticeship Programme Lead at Walsall Council

“The CSA RCO Apprenticeship has given me the knowledge and skills to do my job better, but it’s also given me the confidence to challenge things so that we can work better and deliver better services at a strategic level. Because my tutor helped to make assignments really relevant to my job role, I was able to use them to overcome specific problems and challenges. My experience with CSA as a training provider has been amazing."
Sarah Heath-Marshall ICA QA(RCO), Community Protection Officer at Walsall Council

Read the full case study here: Walsall Council case study

APHA/Defra
"As part of the recruitment drive to grow our team of trainee inspectors, we decided to offer the apprenticeship route to those with a Science A-Level alongside the traditional entry route for those with biological Science Degrees. We were initially expecting to mainly attract school leavers but have ended up with a cohort of apprentices aged between 20 and 63! The Level 4 Regulatory Compliance Officer Apprenticeship provides an ideal pathway for our needs which also allows our new inspectors to work alongside our experienced inspectors and take part in more specialised internal training.
"We chose to work with Credit Services Association as the training provider because of their track record of quality delivery tailored to unique organisational needs and their background as a well established trade association in a heavily regulated niche sector. From the outset, they worked hard to understand what we were trying to achieve and took the time to understand the specific legislation we have to comply with, and how we work as an organisation within the regulatory environment... The CSA team has been very responsive throughout the process so far, going the extra mile to gain and take on board feedback, and adapt the programme and our and our learners’ changing needs. The fact that our apprentices have hit the ground running and started progressing, developing, and adding value to the organisation straight away is a very good sign of things to come.”
Carol Jackson, Apprenticeships Manager at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) (part of the Government’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs - Defra)

Read the full case study here: APHA/Defra case study

Northumberland County Council
Laura Elliott, an apprentice Regulatory Compliance Officer at Northumberland County Council, who was awarded a merit in the End Point Assessment of the CSA Level 4 Regulatory Compliance Officer Apprenticeship, won the ‘Advanced’ category at the Northumberland County Council Apprentice of the Year Awards. Her mentor Laura Southwell also won an award for mentoring the apprenticeship. “I want to convey my sincere thanks to the CSA apprenticeships team for their hard work and support in encouraging Laura to reach her potential through the apprenticeship process. It has been a pleasure to work with them as part of her learning journey.”
Laura Southwell, Trading Standards Officer at Northumberland County Council, who mentored to two CSA apprentices.

East Sussex Trading Standards
"We now have 4 Level 4 Regulatory Compliance Officer (RCO) apprentices working in East Sussex, the first two of which were on the first ever RCO course with the CSA. I have been pleased with the support my candidates have been provided with and am looking forward to further developing them based on some sound learning through the apprenticeship scheme."
Richard Strawson, Team Manager (East Sussex Trading Standards)

Doncaster Council
"My experience so far as an apprentice working towards the Level 4 Regulatory Compliance Officer, has been fantastic. I love the way the learning is conducted, through use of OneFile to upload work and attending the workshops to both learn and receive work to complete.

"The tutors are knowledgeable and explain everything in plain English. They are always on hand to provide support, and nothing is too much trouble. Feedback on work is constructive and consistent.

"I have attended two CSA events one in Newcastle in September last year and one recently in Leeds. Both of which have been really well organised and content rich. They have provided the opportunity for me to learn more about CSA as a company and also to share experiences with other apprentices.

"I cannot speak highly enough of all the CSA Staff and I would without doubt recommend them to anyone as a Learning provider."
Adam Heavisides, Senior Enforcement Officer (Doncaster Council)

Henry Schein Dental
"My experience of the Level 4 Regulatory Compliance program has been very positive.

"All of the workshops have been very informative and valuable. John Whisson has a wealth of experience to share owing to his time working for Trading Standards.

"The knowledge that I have acquired on the course has helped to inform my activities at work and I am sure that it will continue to do so in the future.

"All of the fellow students that I came in to contact with were lovely and there was a good atmosphere at each workshop."
Fiona Osborne-Wheeler (Henry Schein Dental)

Leicestershire County Council
"When I first started the apprenticeship, I worried that I would be “too old” at the grand old age of 50 something (!) - but since starting nine months ago, I am really enjoying it and I have grown in confidence both personally and professionally. The course workload is manageable alongside my everyday cases and it helps massively to be actually in the role of a Trading Standards officer whilst studying.

"I think having employees that sign up for the apprenticeship helps to build a wider knowledge base, and gives an all round fuller experience of the role of a Trading Standards Officer. This in turn brings benefits to the employer by being able to have the confidence in their apprentices and their understanding of the role.

"One of the high points of the course has been meeting people from other trading standards services across the country when taking part in workshops, as it’s nice to see how other teams operate on a day-to-day basis and also getting to hear some of their experiences.

"I think the biggest challenge for me was getting back into learning and being faced with a list of new tasks to do and learning how to prioritise workloads. I think it helps that we have apprentices across all teams within our service who are at different stages of their apprenticeship journey, so there is always someone to ask for their experiences of managing deadlines etc..

"So far, the course has been well organised and the workshops are well planned with the regular one-to-one catch-ups with my tutor Simon very useful in keeping me informed of tasks that are being set, and also being able to let him know of any issues I am having. I feel well supported in my course and after speaking with other apprentices in my service, I know that they feel the same way.

"I would recommend to other employers to sign-up their employees to an apprenticeship scheme, as they are learning the role whilst working in the environment and it helps to build knowledge and confidence first-hand."

If you had to describe the CSA in three words, what would they be?

• Professional
• Informative
• Supportive

Karen Taylor, Trading Standards Officer (Leicestershire County Council)