At Exeter Works we are huge advocates for any opportunity to learn at work. Ensuring that you continue to learn and develop in your role can lead to greater fulfillment and opportunities in the future.
This week is ‘Learning at Work’ week and we’ve been catching up with people who have made the most of opportunities to learn at work. Today, it’s Stephen Clayton. Stephen is Customer Support Lead at Exeter City Council. He’s just completed his MBA (Masters in Business Administration) and a Level 7 Senior Leader Apprenticeship. In doing so, he’s also achieved chartered managers status with the CMI (Chartered Managers Institute).
So, what was it that made Stephen decide that an MBA was for him?
He says: “I was looking for a smaller training opportunity and my manager asked whether I’d thought about a masters. I started studying, first with the Open University and then Exeter City Council offered me the opportunity to continue my studies with an MBA at the University of Exeter, alongside the apprenticeship.”
The course has taken Stephen two years to complete, but as with so many things, the pandemic delayed completion by a few months.
Stephen was fortunate that the course was fully funded by his employer and he was given the necessary time off for studying. So how has the qualification changed things for Stephen at work now?
“The experience and knowledge I gained has given me the confidence to temporarily step into an organisation wide project role.”
He says that if anybody is considering studying at work and is given the opportunity to do so from their employers, they should go for it.
Stephen says: “It is definitely hard work and a significant commitment of time. However, the two and a bit years has gone very quickly and I’ve met some really interesting and skilled people, (students and lecturers), the support from work has been fantastic and I really feel it has better equipped me for my future career.”
Find out more about Learning at Work week, here: https://www.campaign-for-learning.org.uk/pages/news/category/learning-at-work-week
