How apprenticeships help transform careers

In the second of our Apprenticeship Week features exploring the experience of apprenticeships in FM, we talk to Georgie Nettleton who is Q3’s Estates and Facilities Administrator at the Catapult – Westcott Centre contract

Georgie first joined us via an agency appointment in August 2024, before becoming a full-time employee the following November.

This is the story of her experience…

“I would be the first to admit that I had not heard of Facilities Management before I took on this role, but I certainly know what it is now! When I took the step from agency to full-time with Q3, the idea of completing the apprenticeship was part of the discussion and I was not sure that it was something I really wanted to do.

I bought into it on the basis that it would broaden my understanding of the demands of the role, and the ways of working of both the client organisation and Q3. The great thing is that the learning experience is totally unlike school or college and tailored completely around my role.

The process is totally different. There are monthly workshops with my tutor and projects and tasks which I pick up and complete alongside my normal working week. Also, the apprenticeship is not exam based which is good, because I never really like exams at school. I get to present my project at each stage, and the workshops are linked to what I do.

Research has enabled me to interact with many different stakeholders, including finance, governance team, and carbon management, where I have been involved in utility bill analysis as part of our sustainability reporting. Some projects meant speaking to other people in the business to get first-hand knowledge on particular subjects. All this has given me so much confidence in dealing with people and working as part of a team.

One interesting area was learning about PESTEL and how Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal factors affect the business operation.

Where all this takes me is probably too early to say. I’m taking it one step at a time but would like to incorporate my interest in photography and graphic design in some future role.

What I can say is that I have thoroughly enjoyed doing the apprenticeship, learning new skills and realising real value in what I have learned.”

Here’s some feedback for Georgie from her manager Jayne Lilley, who has seen the impact of the the apprenticeship programme, first hand.

“Since first meeting Georgie in September 2024, I’ve seen her flourish both personally and professionally.

She began as a quiet and shy member of the team, not always confident in herself, but she has truly transformed. It’s like watching a closed flower open – she has grown beautifully.

Throughout her apprenticeship, her confidence has increased noticeably. She is productive, conscientious, and approaches every task with a positive attitude. Georgie takes everything in her stride and is always willing to learn.

It has been genuinely lovely to see her growth and development over the past months, and I’m excited to see her continue to thrive.”