CCCG’s online Apprenticeships: Building connection and confidence

Facilities Management Level 4 Apprenticeship student Lewis Wingate tells us about his experience of completing the course. 

Lewis Wingate, Site Manager at Patcham High School in Brighton, recently completed the 2-year Facilities Management – Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship with Capital City College Group’s (CCCG) training arm, Capital City College Training (CCCT), and was awarded a Distinction overall. He talked us through his experience of doing a fully remote course while working full-time.

What led you to do an Apprenticeship?

I’ve been working at Patcham High School for about 10 years. During my annual appraisal a couple of years ago, we looked at ways to enhance my skills and knowledge. Our school is currently one of three large secondary schools in the area managed under a PFI (Private Finance Initiative) contract which comes to an end in 2027. This means that some of the management services are taken on by a maintenance company, while others remain the school’s responsibility. I currently manage soft services such as cleaning, site teams, access and security. I started the Apprenticeship Training so that I’d be in a good position to move forward and potentially manage more in-house when the PFI contract ends.

Why did you choose CCCG?

My school pays into a training levy through the local authority, and from there training funds are allocated to members of staff. I was enrolled by Brighton City Council through their Apprenticeship scheme and they chose Capital City College Group as the training provider.

How did you find doing a fully remote Apprenticeship?

The whole course has been online and it’s been really beneficial for me. Travelling from Brighton up to London would have been really time-consuming. 

At the beginning of the course, I was a little nervous as I only currently manage soft services on a school site, which was different to many of the other students in my cohort – but I can honestly say that I have learnt so much and gained more skills and knowledge than I imagined.

It was good to meet other people doing similar roles from completely different sectors and environments and share their experiences and knowledge. Lots of the other students were from private companies looking after office buildings or rail networks and so forth.

How did your cohort support each other?

I felt that we were able to share our varied experiences in a way that was really beneficial. I got to talk to other members of the cohort who were more experienced than me or had dealt with a range of situations in other job roles with different responsibilities.

In particular, our cohort supported each other during the End Point Assessment (EPA) part of the course, which included a project, a presentation and a professional discussion. We were encouraged to practice in front of each other and get feedback. Before my final presentation, I managed to watch a couple of other people’s presentations and hear the feedback they’d received from the tutors. 

After my presentation, I spoke to another person in my cohort who’d already done their final professional discussion and presentation with the examining body. We had a conversation about the kind of questions they asked and the feedback they gave – so it was really good to have that kind of connection with the other learners.

What did you like best about the course?

I liked the structure and the way the course was set out over the two years. We’d have an online session with our tutor, Rod, on a specific subject. It was always quite interactive and we’d go into breakout rooms and have the chance to speak to other course members in smaller group discussions. I liked that we weren’t just looking at the screen and listening. 

Another thing I liked was the regular reviews we had with our tutor, which took place every couple of weeks. They really helped me focus on where I should be, and what I should be doing and Rod was particularly good at making sure we met at regular intervals. It meant I could ask questions about any of the assignments or projects that we were doing, and towards the end of the course, I was able to get advice on planning my presentation and preparing for the professional discussion. 

What would you say to anyone considering an Apprenticeship?

I would say, “Go for it!”. When I started my course, I was in my late 30s. I thought Apprenticeships were for younger people but you’re never too old to learn new skills. 

My cohort was aged from around 25 to 45. To do this Level 4 qualification you’ll need some experience in Facilities Management or a Level 2 or Level 3 Facilities Management qualification. It helps to be on the job because you have to do quite a lot of research into the projects and you need to be able to find information and speak to people. 

The course has given me extra knowledge and confidence in dealing with different challenges – and I’m so pleased with the final outcome.

What practical advice would you give to someone embarking upon this type of Apprenticeship?

It’s really important to keep on top of projects and assignments and do them as they come in. You normally have a 2-hour online seminar and then your tutor will go through your assignment and give you notes about what to include. Then, you get six to eight weeks to complete each project or assignment which is focused on one specific area such as financial management or asset planning. 

I did get a little bit behind at one stage and I ended up trying to do two or three at the same time, and I found that really difficult. In total, there were eight projects and eight assignments, and you can’t get to the EPA stage unless you’ve passed them all and your time log is up to date. 

The time log keeps track of what you’ve been doing. With this Apprenticeship, you’re expected to do eight hours of studying a week. I’d advise anyone doing the course to make sure that you list exactly what you’re doing on a weekly basis. If you leave it for a few weeks and have to go back and fill it in, it can be quite challenging to go back through your calendar and work out what you’ve done.

How did you find the final assessment?

You’ve got 18 months to do the projects and assignments, and then you spend the last six months getting ready for your EPA, which includes a final report, a prepared presentation and a professional discussion with an assessor and a facilities management expert. 

I’d practiced the presentation a few times and got some feedback so I was pretty happy going into that. The professional discussion is quite relaxed but also quite intense because they ask you lots of questions over the course of an hour. It was a bit daunting but I felt that the two people in my assessment were trying to get the best results out of me. They’d rephrase the questions if I didn’t fully understand them which was helpful.

I’ve learned so much over the course and I’m really happy with my grading. I got a Merit for the final project and Distinctions for the presentation and discussion, meaning that I got a Distinction overall. 

What does this qualification mean to you?

I’ve got quite a varied background and am a trained plumber with experience in leisure and schools. I did an NVQ in Management about 20 years ago, so I see this formal qualification as a stepping stone to move forward in my career. 

Over the two years, I had some ups and downs with operational issues at work. There are times when we’ve been short-staffed, and I’ve had other commitments like jury service in addition to balancing life with a young family. For me, it has been really beneficial to get this qualification. 

What’s next for you now that you’ve completed your course?

I went on holiday the day after my EPA in May, so I’ve had a chance to relax before the next thing. We’ve got lots of projects at work starting over the summer so I’m currently finalising various things for those. With the end of the PFI contract in 2027, there will probably be scope for operational roles with regard to managing more services within the school or the local authority. Hopefully, there will be opportunities for progression within those routes.

One of the really good things about this qualification is that it’s not based around one industry. Now that I’ve become an IWFM (Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management) member and established my professional grade with them, I can take my qualifications into any Facilities Management job. If I move to a different sector, the skills and qualifications from this Apprenticeship will be very useful and relevant.

The knowledge and experience that has come from other people on my course have been great. It’s been difficult at times, but once you get to the end of it and you get your final grade, it’s 100% worth it.

“I can honestly say that I have learnt so much and gained more skills and knowledge than I imagined.”

Congratulations to Lewis on completing the Facilities Management – Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship with Distinction! 

We offer a range of Level 2, 3 and 4 Facilities Management Apprenticeships. 

Enrol today in an Apprenticeship to further your career!

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