The magic of mentoring trainees

How one local authority supports its AAT trainees and apprentices through mentoring, buddy schemes and more.

When Worcestershire County Council (WCC) revamped its apprenticeship scheme they also realised they needed to change the way they supported their trainees too.

Last year the council gave Finance Business Partner Phil Morgan (who had recently completed his CIPFA qualification) the task of line-managing the apprentices, as well as helping ensure both WCC and trainees were getting the most out of their apprenticeship.

From establishing ‘buddy schemes’ to safeguarding trainees’ mental health, here Morgan and other WCC managers tell us how they are giving their apprentices the support and advice they need.

Establish forums for trainees to voice any concerns

Morgan: “Alongside line-managing apprentices, I also act as a link between them and the college/training provider, where I can raise any issues they have. There’s a Teams group where trainees can post questions. We also have monthly meetings where trainees discuss how their apprenticeship is going. After initially chairing these meetings, I gave each trainee an opportunity to host them. Now, they’ve taken it over and host without me!”

Start a ‘buddy scheme’

Morgan: “At WCC, we have a ‘buddy scheme’. This pairs a new apprentice with somebody who has recently completed AAT a year or so before them. The trainee can call upon this buddy to talk about their studies, plus it also gives them an idea of what they could achieve.”

Charlie Spain, Audit Assistant; AAT Level 4 apprentice: “My buddy is Jake, who has recently finished AAT Level 4. He’s two years older than me (I’m 20) and we get along really well. As an apprentice, sometimes you don’t feel comfortable approaching managers with a question in case you look silly. But I’m fine putting these questions to Jake. His insight has been invaluable; I don’t think I could get this kind of advice from anybody else.”

Help apprentices see the relevance of their studies

Morgan: “If apprentices are studying VAT, I’ll show them how it relates to the workplace, by sending reports WCC is working on. Whenever our financial statements are published, I’ll show them so they can make links with what they’ve been studying.”

Webinars are good too

Kate Goldey, Finance Business Partner: “At WCC, we have regular ‘Lunch & Learn’ sessions, which are themed webinars hosted on Microsoft Teams. While apprentices are eating their lunch, they can listen to colleagues talking about VAT or debits/credits, with the opportunity to ask questions. There’s no free lunch, sadly, but it gives a fantastic insight into what people do at WCC.”

Identify where your apprentices need help the most

Morgan: “Although most AAT students feel comfortable with the qualification, some are not sure how to approach the end point assessment (EPA) and portfolio. Make sure they understand the professional discussion [an hour-long discussion with an AAT assessor where apprentices reflect on their portfolio] is a friendly chat, and not something to be afraid of.”

Sarah McDonald, Senior Finance Business Partner: “Make sure you help apprentices with their portfolio and don’t rush it. Sometimes learners underestimate what a big piece of work it is.”

Sian Killoran, Senior Finance Officer; AAT Level 4 apprentice: “I was recently struggling with Excel. So, I booked some time with my manager, who spent some time showing me some shortcuts. It’s really helped in my exams.”

Advice for line managers: have regular catch-ups (and a stash of chocolate!)

Godley: “We have weekly one-to-ones with apprentices to check they’re okay. However, don’t micromanage them! Also, try to make things fun. At the start of every team meeting we have quizzes where somebody wins a chocolate bar.”

Be aware of changes to mental health

Morgan: “Inevitably, there are crunch times such as preparing year-end accounts where trainees feel under pressure. Hopefully, they know they can speak either with me or their buddy.

If they are stressed, try to assure them this is likely to be a short-term problem. For example, if those financial statements are published one day late, it’s not the end of the world! Your mentees should also feel comfortable speaking with you about non-work-related issues without worrying how they’ll be perceived. No subject should be off-limits.

Thankfully, WCC has mental health first-aiders, while there’s wellbeing support on our staff intranet. If you see somebody struggling [with their mental health], signpost them to professional help.”

Spain: “I feel like I can go to anyone at WCC, especially in terms of mental wellbeing. If there was ever a problem, I wouldn’t hesitate to speak to someone.”

Realise the mentor can get just as much from mentoring as the trainee

Morgan: “Some managers might look at mentoring and think ‘This will take up all my time’. But mentors can also learn from the people they’re supporting. I think I’ve become a better manager because it’s helped me understand how apprentices’ brains work and how different personalities approach situations.

Personally, I’ve improved my skillset through mentoring and found it to be extremely rewarding… It also feels great to see your apprentices progress and become more independent. The best moment is when their first exam results come in: you can’t help but feel proud.”

Read more about Worcestershire County Council

A case study in running a successful AAT apprenticeship

How Worcestershire County Council built its talent pipeline.

Why AAT is the perfect fit for our trainees

Christian Koch is an award-winning journalist/editor who has written for the Evening Standard, Sunday Times, Guardian, Telegraph, The Independent, Q, The Face and Metro. He's also written about business for Accounting Technician, 20 and Director, where he is contributing editor.