On Thursday 8th October, we hosted a Talent Academy Apprenticeship Day at our London office, bringing together apprentices from across our Beckenham, London, Cambridge and Colchester offices.

Following the formal launch of our Apprenticeship Programme in February, the afternoon was designed to put our apprentices at the centre of the conversation, giving them the chance to share what is working, what could be better and where they want their careers to go.

The agenda included:

• An apprenticeship journey, with Sam Murphy, Quantity Surveyor, sharing the highs and lows of his own apprenticeship and what he wishes he had known at the start, followed by small group workshops where apprentices mapped out their own experiences.
• “What Do You Actually Want?”, an open session in which we put forward where we think we may be getting things wrong and invited apprentices to challenge and correct us. Discussion covered project exposure, training and study time, mentoring and support, social and team events, wellbeing and workload, and pay.
• Career progression and job descriptions, a walkthrough of our job description framework using real Potter Raper roles, followed by a workshop in which each apprentice mapped their current role against the next level, identified development gaps and set one action for the next six months.

The day closed with a wrap-up of the key themes raised and agreed next steps, which will feed directly into how we develop the programme.

We know our employees are our most valuable asset, which is why we invest in their development. From apprenticeships and graduate programmes to professional qualifications with RICS, APM, CIOB, IOSH and more, we are committed to supporting every individual as they grow their skills, build their confidence and progress their career.

Listening to our apprentices and acting on what they tell us is a key part of that commitment.

Investing in the talent that builds our future.