As National Apprenticeship Week 2019 draws to an end, we wanted to share one of our many success stories. Taking on a committed and passionate apprentice can not only help the individual grow and progress, but also offers excellent benefits for the company for many years.

Melissa Vaughan is a prime example of how continued dedication and hard work can accelerate an individual’s career. Melissa joined Geosynthetics Ltd back in 2011 as Administration Apprentice and has shared 8 happy years with the company where she has been learning and progressing which has landed her a new role, Operations and Accreditations Manager. The journey from Administration Apprentice to Operations Manager was not a straight forward one and Melissa has occupied a number of different roles within the business while gaining the experience needed to fulfil her current role.

In 2013 Melissa moved from Administration into Marketing to explore more of her creative side and spent 3 years building the marketing department into what it is today. During this time Melissa learnt a number of skills which she continues to use on a daily basis in her new role, these skills include; thinking outside of the box with your approach and strategy building.

What skills did you learn during your Apprenticeship that you now in your current role?

• I am naturally a planner but being in Administration suits this structured approach.
• Everyone’s role is equally important. Administration allows you to truly understand how each department interacts with each other and how slight changes in behaviour can drastically change a process.
• Customer service, whether it is internal or external customers your ability to delivery good customer service is something I learnt very quickly in Admin and continue to use today.

What made you want to become an Operations Manager?

• Working in marketing allowed me to explore the creative side of a company. From this I learnt that the areas I gained most satisfaction in was implementing strategy and process changes.
• I was always intrigued about ISO Accreditation and producing effective procedures for the business. Spending time in Operations allowed me to explore this area further. I learnt that the best way to implement these is to be involved in the direction, which then allowed me to progress into my new role more comfortably.

What is your favourite thing about your role?

• The team around me. I can safely say I would not be in the position I am today without the team around me. From the day I started my apprenticeship right through until today I have been fully supported by the Management team and the team around me.
• Seeing individuals develop and grow. I am really proud of the Sale Support to Internal Sales training we offer and the success stories we have seen from this. Also, helping our Marketing Apprenticeships develop and produce effective marketing campaigns is also very rewarding.

What are your future goals?

• I have always focused on learning. I am currently studying Operational Management through the Chartered Institute of Management (CIM) and my goal is to complete this course and continue from here.
• I am getting married this year, surviving the planning process is enough of a goal for now.

Advice to individuals looking to start an Apprenticeship

• Don’t get hung up on building a career and focus on learning. Progression and finding your chosen career takes time, it isn’t always straight forward. Learn from everyone around you to find out what interests you and take every opportunity you can.