Working Differently: Lessons in Lockdown for Damar Training’s apprentices

Damar Training’s apprentices are continuing to learn and succeed during lockdown, achieving their qualifications and engaging with Working Differently, Damar’s new bespoke programme designed to keep apprentices safe, healthy and supported during the crisis.

Since 23 March, we have received some outstanding results across our various programmes. Firstly, the results came in from the January CILEx examinations. Our level 3 apprentices had sat a total of 323 assessments and achieved an 81% pass rate, against a national average of 74%. The level 6 apprentices inspired us even further with a 96% pass rate, against a national average of 75%. There were a number of apprentices on both levels who achieved distinctions and we are really proud of all the hard work that was put in to achieve such amazing results.

Jack Bradford, Level 3 Paralegal Apprentice at Simpson Millar, said: “I am proud of the two distinctions I obtained in the two exams I have sat to date. Reflecting on where I was when I first started and where I am now, the difference in knowledge and competence is a big achievement. I like the mix of being able to learn remotely and also having close contact with my trainer and tutors who deliver the course.”

Meanwhile, 20 of our accounting apprentices passed their AAT advanced synoptic exam, with eight scoring about 80%. This is a challenging exam and we are delighted to have so many apprentices successfully achieve the grade.

We have also had notification of 14 apprentices passing their end-point assessments, with 11 of these achieving a distinction grade.

Haider Malik, Business Admin Apprentice at Trowers & Hamlin LLP, said: “It was a great experience in which I learned lots of new skills that equipped me for my role. My trainer was dedicated to getting me the best results throughout my training. I have aspirations of progressing on to the Paralegal Apprenticeship followed by the Solicitor Apprenticeship in order to one day become a fully qualified Solicitor.”

Working Differently

Hundreds of our apprentices have already started on Damar’s new apprenticeship material, called Working Differently. The enhanced content is focused on the fundamental skills and behaviours most tested by these unique times.  With tailored sections for each qualification area, apprentices who are still working or furloughed have all been able to benefit from this bespoke programme.

Working Differently has four main themes:

• Resilience and wellbeing: to develop apprentices’ ability to cope through the crisis and be equipped to recover well and thrive once it is over.
• Time management: to provide the tools and techniques to cope with a new world of shift patterns, demands on time and working from home.
• Communication: to give apprentices the skills and behaviours to ensure effective communication with colleagues and clients who are working remotely.
• Problem solving: to allow apprentices to deal with challenges and difficulties under circumstances none of us have ever faced previously.

Apprentices have been providing reflections on the first part of the programme, which focusses on resilience.

Paralegal Apprentice:

“I have learned what resilience is, and how to take care of my mental wellbeing during the coronavirus pandemic. I have also learned how to work well from home. This module will help me to continue to work effectively and continue to achieve well in my apprenticeship whilst being able to cope with the struggles of Covid-19.”

Business Admin Apprentice:

“This morning I have worked on and studied about resilience. I found it very interesting and I was able to gain a better understanding of what resilience means and how it can be applied to the current coronavirus situation. The links within the activity to articles were helpful not only to understand resilience better but I found they also helped in the specific circumstances relating to the coronavirus and my worries.”

Travel Consultant Apprentice

“From this session I have discovered how important it is to adjust your mindset and understand how this time can be used productively. Also that it really is important to reach out to people if you yourself are struggling as well as to check in on others (friends, family, neighbours etc), as reaching out to someone else to discuss how you are feeling can also give them the confidence to open up about their thoughts and emotions and relieve some of the negative thinking.”