Bethany Stubbs – Level 3 Business Apprenticeship

Name: Bethany Stubbs

Course Name: Level 3 Business Apprenticeship

Course Type: Apprenticeship

Image Caption: NWSLC student Bethany Stubbs Level 3 Business Apprenticeship

Working for Leicester City Council as it experienced an extended lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic is one of the many challenges that Bethany has faced during her apprenticeship. Having already gained experience in many of the HR disciplines at the council, Bethany joined millions of others across the UK and started working from home in March 2020. She has been kept busy since then keeping in touch with colleagues using Microsoft Teams and continuing to study for her CIPD qualification.

Bethany, 22 from Ashby de la Zouch, joined the HR team at the council last year after graduating with a first-class degree in psychology from the University of Derby. She had already completed an industry placement with engineering consultancy Pöyry in Oxford but wanted to find work closer to home. From an office base in Leicester city centre, Bethany has been working across the range of HR disciplines setting up recruitment campaigns and assessment days, handling virtual training and shadowing her HR colleagues.

Bethany has also been working on organisational development projects including research amongst colleagues into a leadership development programme for which she has been running focus groups to establish the most in-demand skills. During the lockdown period, Bethany has also been in regular with her college tutors and is on track to achieve her qualifications.

When she has completed her apprenticeship in around April 2021, Bethany wants to continue building her experience in generalist roles to help her decide whether to specialise in a particular field of HR.

She said, “I have been lucky not to have been furloughed from the council and the work I am doing is really interesting. I have learned a great deal and been involved in managing a national crisis which has especially affected everyone in Leicester at a local level. The apprenticeship has been a great route for me so far because I really wanted to add a professional HR qualification to my CV. I would certainly recommend the apprenticeship to others and look forward to an exciting future in the HR sector.”