Learner of the Month!

Written on 2nd, November 2021

Congratulations to Katy McEntee for being recognised as our Learner of the Month for October! We interviewed Katy’s employer and her tutor, Mandy Main to understand why she is so deserving of this award.   Katy is currently completing the Level 3 Events apprenticeship with the Royal Ballet School.   

Here’s what manager, Georgia Crabtree had to say about Katy’s achievements:  

How has Katy’s apprenticeship benefited her within the workplace?  

Katy’s apprenticeship has been very beneficial. It has enabled her to spend time reflecting and evaluating the skills she has learnt and tasks she has undertaken for the Royal Ballet School. The apprenticeship has given her a clearer understanding of different processes and procedures whilst putting what she has learnt into practice. Katy is heavily involved in team meetings and contributes her thoughts and ideas.  

Has Katy overcome any challenges or difficulties during her time at the Royal Ballet School?  

Katy started the position working from home, which was difficult on a personal and professional level.   Showing natural confidence, Katy adapted and settled in very quickly. I was pleased to see she was quick to develop personal bonds with the different team members.  

The whole team is currently working in the office full time. This has been a fantastic opportunity for Katy to absorb and experience day to day working life within a busy office.  

Has Katy demonstrated the ability to take feedback and a willingness to learn from her mistakes?

Yes, Katy will always admit to making a mistake and likes to evaluate what went wrong. Having regular one to one catch ups has been a great way to feedback progress and have a look at what she could improve on.  

Do you have an example of when Katy has demonstrated resilience and determination within the workplace?  

The beginning of the academic year is always a busy time for the department and even more so this year due to staff sickness, a department restructure and last-minute changes due to Covid-19.  Katy was fantastic at taking on the role of Primary Steps Coordinator while they were off. She managed a heavy workload with efficiency and kept her cool in stressful situations. Katy is a great team player.  

Has Katy demonstrated a propensity to take action and initiative?  

Yes, the department was hosting online events in the Spring term. A colleague was having technical issues meaning they could not start, host and coordinate the event. Katy realised the event hadn’t started, so she used her initiative and hosted the whole event herself, using a pre-made PowerPoint presentation that she was unfamiliar with and coordinated the event smoothly.  

Has Katy demonstrated a willingness to learn during working hours?  

Yes, Katy is always willing to attend training, even if it might not relate to her workload. Throughout her apprenticeship, we have looked at ways to increase her skill set by taking on varied tasks or attending extra training that her workload permits.  

Has Katy made any significant achievements within the workplace that you feel should be highlighted?  

Katy’s first event she coordinated for the Royal Ballet School was in May 2021. The event was called Arts of the Theatre which was a new event streamed from the Upper School. Katy had little guidance about what was expected and had to coordinate the event from a venue she was not familiar with. She had to use two booking systems one for the general public and another for donors, friends of the school and VIPs. This was a very successful event down to fantastic organisation.   In February half term 2022, we are excited that Katy has the opportunity to run five workshops for us in one week. We have no doubt that she will run these events successfully.  

Here’s what Katy’s Tutor, Amanda Main had to say:  

Has Katy overcome a challenge/difficulty within her learning?

Covid-19 has had a significant impact on the events industry. Katy’s ability to adapt to the pandemic has been impressive. She was able to manage a remote online event and deal with multiple technicalities. On top of this, Katy has been able to execute events that follow Covid-19 rules, ensuring the business is compliant with government restrictions. This demonstrates Katy’s ability to overcome challenges and adapt to the new world post-Covid-19.  

How has the apprenticeship impacted Katy within the workplace?  

Throughout her apprenticeship, Katy has learnt to consider budgets and the life cycle of events from start to finish. Not only this, but the training Katy has also received has given her confidence. Katy is not afraid to question things. She is always asking us for feedback on what else she can learn and how she can use that within her role.  

Has Katy demonstrated an ability to take feedback and a willingness to learn from her mistakes?  

Katy’s very driven and keen to get things right and produced to a very high standard, which she has demonstrated within her project work. Katy has been an absolute joy to teach. She is very ambitious and always wants to see how she can improve on any work she submits before she submits it to OneFile.   

From everyone at Professional Training Solutions, we would like to congratulate Katy on her success and keep up the hard work!