Over the course of my 10-year career at Certas Energy, I’ve worked my way up from a temporary data entry role to Head of Customer Service at Fuel Cards, as well as adopting office manager responsibilities at our Trafford Park office.
The team I manage is responsible for all the back-office support we provide our customers and sales teams. We are the point of contact for all queries/requests, card management, transaction queries and reporting, fraud prevention, invoice management, and more!
The fact I have been able to develop and progress my own career within Certas Energy is one of the things I’ve valued most during my 10 years at the company, so the apprenticeship route is perfect to support the development of my own team; hopefully providing them with some of the same opportunities I’ve had myself.
I’ve seen the benefit of apprenticeships in other areas of the business, and while my team are all very good at what they do, I firmly believe that they can really benefit from following the same path. The opportunity to perfect and grow their skills as well as themselves within the business over the 18-month course will really help them understand how and where they can excel within their role, and potentially offer other development opportunities within Certas Energy.
For me, one particular element of an apprenticeship that has enormous value for both the colleague and their manager is the on-the-job learning. I’m a huge fan of learning and development, but I feel that sometimes traditionally delivered training can be forgotten if it lacks interaction, but because an apprenticeship encourages them to implement and see the value of their training in their daily roles, I believe it’s a far more productive and enjoyable process for everyone.
I’ve already seen the benefits of the apprenticeship training in my team, despite them being in the very early stages of the qualification. One of my team who has only been in the programme a week has been supporting her colleagues, who have not yet started, by helping them manage their expectations, giving advice and guidance, and generally being a positive and reassuring influence on those around her.
I joined Certas Energy 13 years ago, and have had several roles in that time, from sales team leader to project manager, and now to my current role as UK Fuel Cards Sales Manager. My current responsibilities include overseeing the entire Fuel Cards sales team, made up of eight Business Development Managers and 5 Customer Retention Executives. My team is responsible for managing all new incoming business into the Fuels Cards department, as well as maintaining and developing our existing customer base through strategic price negotiation and providing customer solutions to ensure retention and continued engagement.
Currently, four of my team are enrolled on the Level 4 Sales Executive apprenticeship programme which provides them with the skills needed to progress within their own careers and in future roles at Certas Energy.
I believe apprenticeships are an important part of how we, as managers, show we are committed to the development of the individuals who work with us. It highlights to them that the business is willing to invest in their future and help them become the best they can be in the chosen roles.
While there are various beneficial elements to the apprenticeship programmes, especially to the roles of our teams, including data sourcing and lead generation, I was most impressed by the overall package and how it highlights to potential candidates that the business are actively invested in ‘giving back’ to their employees and nurturing their progression; everything in the programme provides them with the skills and knowledge to benefit them in their current roles.
The benefits of the apprenticeships are already apparent in my team, with the apprentices showing improvements in confidence and knowledge, as well as an increased understanding of how to support their existing and new customers, which is great to see and hear, especially when half of them have no previous experience in sales roles.
If you are interested in a career at Certas Energy, either as an apprentice or in another capacity, don’t forget to review our jobs page available here.
