As part of our series celebrating National Apprenticeships Week, we feature Ibrahim Yusuf, Junior Consultant and former Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Practitioner Apprenticeship (Level 4) with LDN Apprenticeships.
Carole Scott, our Head of Communications, interviewed Ibrahim about the progress that an apprenticeship has helped him make.
Before you became an apprentice at 3Keel, what other options were you considering?
Sustainability as a sector is difficult to get your first step in without a traditional university degree, so my aim prior to joining 3Keel was to build a portfolio of skills through work placements, online courses and volunteering to build the necessary skills required in the roles I was applying for.
And what convinced you that an apprenticeship was your best route?
Practical impact was what attracted me most. The ability to work with brilliant people on projects that have tangible benefits while also earning a qualification felt like the perfect blend to me.
What do you think about apprenticeships as an alternative route to university?
From my experience, I would champion apprenticeships as a valid and perhaps more lucrative pathway compared to university. With the job market as it is, many fresh graduates find it difficult to break into entry roles, as many employers require “experience”, which they don’t have. If someone were to undergo the apprenticeship route, they would not only have the practical experience and a qualification but the possibility of a guaranteed job if their employer chooses to keep them on after their apprenticeship.
What did your apprenticeship cover?
The apprenticeship course was twofold. Most of my time, I was working on my portfolio where I had to demonstrate to the examiner how I met certain criteria whilst working (Knowledge, Skills and Behaviour or KSBs). The second consisted of my End Point Assessment (EPA). This involved undergoing a chosen project at work that had to meet certain KSBs as well as a final virtual presentation and Q&A session with an examiner.
How did it work in times of how you split your time between work and study?
Out of the five-day working week, one day was dedicated to apprenticeship study. This day could consist of completing specific courses on a website called ‘Thinkafic’, writing journal entries, completing my portfolio or focused EPA tasks.
How was the study organised?
My Fridays mostly consisted of independent work and study. Additionally, each apprentice is assigned a skills coach who mentors and supports them throughout their journey. Our 1-1 sessions were a time where we would discuss my portfolio and develop and plan my final project.
What was the best thing about being an apprentice?
It is difficult to narrow this down to a single best thing but one of my favourite aspects is how you must adapt constantly and become a ‘jack of all trades’. As all apprentices have to meet the KSB criteria, I did everything from quality assurance and event planning to contributing to public reports and hosting webinars for thousands of external suppliers. I am a firm believer in the idea that you do not know what you enjoy (and hopefully excel in) unless you dive headfirst into it! As we have to explore almost every corner of what it means to be a sustainability professional, I was able not only to address areas of improvement but also cultivate and enhance areas that I wanted to specialise in.
If you compare yourself now to when you started as an apprentice, how would you say you have developed?
Like many young professionals, when I first entered my role, it was as though a cloud of imposter syndrome followed me wherever I went. In a company like 3Keel, which is an oasis of knowledge and has some of the most talented and gifted minds in their field, it was difficult at first to feel as though I could find my footing. However, when I entered my first project, the cloud started to lift as I developed in my role. With time, my confidence and skillset grew together and my colleagues and I were both able to see my progression. Once I internalised that every expert was once a novice, the cloud began to dissipate.
What did you enjoy about the course and what else would you have liked from it?
The support from the CR&S Network was something I cherished over the 20 months as an apprentice, as well as the monthly virtual live sessions. Though we were all undergoing a sustainability qualification, we all worked in vastly different industries so were able to crowd source ideas on how to approach our KSBs. We had a couple mandatory in person days with the cohort but I would have loved any more opportunities to network in person with them and potentially with other sustainability apprentices from other apprenticeship providers.
How did the transition from being an apprentice to being a permanent employee work? At what point did 3Keel start talking about you having a career in the company?
The transition from apprentice to permanent employee was a seamless process for me beyond converting my study days to full time working. 3Keel began communicating my position a couple of months prior to the end of my apprenticeship.
What do you like most about your role now?
What I find most fulfilling is witnessing the impact of our work on our clients. Some may see a small change in a sustainability policy as something insignificant but as these are industry giants, this will snowball and the impact will cascade and have numerous impacts in preserving and protecting the environment and the rights indigenous peoples that depend on these areas. Additionally, as someone who has been through the apprenticeship process and is now in a full-time consultancy position, I enjoy having the insight of an apprentice and being able to support newer apprentices and advise them from a point of lived experience.
What are your hopes/ambitions for your career?
My hope and ambition are to take everything I have learnt and shine a spotlight on local and global areas that are often sidelined but equally in need of attention and support. During my time as an apprentice, I was interviewed and featured in the “Preparing Future Generations” Diversity in Sustainability Report, which discussed how BIPOC/BAME populations are disproportionately affected by social and environmental injustices and yet face barriers in accessing the careers to address them. With schemes like the apprenticeship, my dream is that I can help establish rooms that mirror the affected populations. In recent years, I have seen positive progress but it is important to champion these changemakers and with this we can plant seeds of change so that future generations can reap the harvest.
What message would you give to anyone thinking about engaging in an apprenticeship?
A message I would pass on to anyone considering or already engaged in an apprenticeship is “be a forever student”. Education is not limited to diplomas, A-Levels or university degrees. An apprenticeship offers so much and letting your curiosity run wild will lead you to areas you never knew existed. If this is your first role, everything is new and the unknown can be daunting, but your passion in your career begins at the end of your comfort zone.
Attend that event, shadow that colleague and present that webinar. By the end of the apprenticeship you will be amazed at how much you achieved and how many skills you developed. More importantly, you will be proud of how far you have come. If anyone is curious about apprenticeships, please do reach out to the alumni on LinkedIn and I am sure they would be more than happy to offer support!
