We believe an FI apprenticeship offers a real alternative to the standard routes of work or higher education by combining the best of both worlds – the chance to develop the skills and knowledge that are directly related to your chosen industry, whilst also earning a salary. Our skills days are absolutely key to this.

Why apprentices need skills days: 

To be an effective team member, or to become an effective manager, you need a set of business tools proven to increase individual and team productivity.  With the development of these skills, practicing them in a non-impact environment and learning the tools to use in the workplace, will increase confidence and therefore effectiveness.

Three types of Skills Day: 

Core – these are essential skills which benefit the individual and the business at all levels of the organisation

Advanced – for those who are dealing with a range of stakeholders for the business and are progressing their career in the business

Professional –  senior business leader skills who are experienced in the business world, operating at a high level in the workplace. They need to build leadership skills, behavioural impact and resilience.

Covered on Skills Days: The most desirable skills and competencies

Our skills days cover the areas that will make you shine in the workplace:

• Effective communication
• Working in teams and collaboration
• Leading yourself and others
• Problem solving, analysis and decision -making
• Change management
• Interacting with others and managing conflict
• Business and commercial awareness
• Leadership and managing people

How do they help you at work?

Well-rounded, highly-developed skills can be invaluable to business success. While these skills can at times be more difficult to develop than technical skills they are arguably equally if not more important in running a successful business. Recent studies have suggested these skills are actively sought after by employers when selecting candidates for employment or progression in their current roles.

What activities happen on a skills day?

Students are provided with access to a range of online resources with guidance on how to use them for the module you are undertaking. A face to face workshop will be arranged and on this day you students join a group of other professionals for an interactive day run by our Skills Coaches. Students are often asked to complete an activity or questionnaire in advance of the workshop or identify a work based situation or tasks which will fit the topics of the day. There are a number of activities across the day as well as receiving some course materials and some outcomes/ actions from the sessions. Following the workshop students continue to have access to the online resources and may be set activities to complete.

How do they help you become a better student?

The core, advanced and professional skills can help with finding, attracting and retaining clients as well as enhancing problem solving, team-working and communication in the business. These are all important for a successful business and if all members of the team are working better together, better able to manage their time, can effectively deal with change and have tools to deal with difficult situations they may face this enable the business to develop and grow.

Find out more about how an FI apprenticeship could enhance your career here.