Since its launch in 2022, our Level 4 Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability programme has become an incredibly popular avenue to upskill and train apprentices, acting as a great opportunity to introduce new and diverse talent into Sustainability teams across the UK.

Recently starting a career within sustainability is LDN CR&S Apprentice Vera O'Driscoll!

As part of the latest instalment in our case study series, we caught up with Vera and her line manager Kellie over at Axis to talk about their experience with LDN and the transformative power of apprenticeships.

*Vera (right) with line manager Kellie (left) at Axis HQ.*

Vera landed a role within Axis’ Community Investment & Sustainability department after searching for an environmentally focused career inspired by her studies at university. It’s safe to say, since joining the programme, Vera has become a real asset to her team and the wider LDN apprentice community.

Following the footsteps of our previous case study and CR&S apprentice Charlotte @ Mamas & Papas, Vera was also one of the first apprentices within her cohort to win our Apprentice of the Month Award accolade!

But, what motivated Vera to kickstart her apprenticeship journey with LDN?

What inspired you to apply for the role with Axis as part of the CR&S apprenticeship?

Vera: After attending university I knew I wanted a role that was involved with the environment as I really enjoyed sustainability. Starting an apprenticeship made sense to me as I wanted to discover if I also liked sustainability in the corporate setting.

I also chose CR&S because of the Community investment side of things as that also really interests me. I didn’t really know too much about it, so I thought the apprenticeship would help to expand my knowledge in that area.

I really liked the idea of learning CR&S theory whilst going to work and putting those theories into practice, especially as the apprenticeship is so interconnected. Overall, I thought would be a great opportunity for me.

What inspired you to recruit Vera via the CR&S apprenticeship with LDN?

Kellie: Axis has always been heavily invested in apprenticeships.

John Hayes, our CEO, started off as an apprentice bricklayer several years ago now as well as our other Managing Directors who each started off as apprentices so, it's something we all truly believe in - it's one of our core values along with community and sustainability.

When we discovered LDN could welcome a CR&S apprentice to Axis, I jumped at the opportunity to pitch it to my manager. Not only is it an opportunity to grow the team, but also to be part of a trailblazing group for the level 4 Apprenticeship standard which our CEO was very much on board with.

It just seemed like a natural fit for us and is a great opportunity!

What have you learned so far via LDN that you’ve been able to implement at Axis?

Vera: A lot! I feel that through both LDN and Axis, everything I have learned is so broad due to the different things that I do on a day-to-day basis - not one day is the same.

The modules I have covered with LDN have given me a basis for what I can complete at Axis. When a new topic comes up at work, I am able to relate the learning I’ve done with LDN back to the task at hand.

The LDN Masterclasses and live sessions are just great, I absolutely love them! Some of them are presented by external speakers from different organisations which has been insightful as I’ve been able to learn what they do within their own companies. It’s been great to take inspiration back to Axis and put those ideas into perspective with Kellie, especially when reflecting on what we’re already doing as a team.

What has been the impact on Axis’ CSR strategy since Vera joined the team?

Kellie: The biggest thing has been the growth in team size and seeing the impact that that's had.

*Vera taking part in one of the many Axis volunteering opportunities by planting her very own tree!*

As an example, I'm currently working on our Responsible Business Report for this financial year and comparing it to our first one which we launched last financial year, it's just incredible to see the growth.

Volunteering has doubled in percentage in terms of the number of employees and the number of hours. I think it's around 1600 hours of volunteering that we've done across the board and that's a credit to Vera! Just having someone else on the team to support that is incredible.

Vera was already touched on a few different projects, but projects like work experience and our school/college partnerships - last year we had partnerships with ten schools and colleges, and this year we've had nearly 40 partnerships! Again, that's thanks to Vera for being there and helping to develop those partnerships.

I can say personally as a manager how much she's benefited us, but you can also see Vera’s impact as a whole in the business. She’s been a huge impact and it's great to be able to finally expand our reach and introduce new initiatives.

Which projects are you currently/have worked on at Axis so far?

Vera: One of the main tasks I complete regularly is the ‘Responsible Business News’, this happens on a monthly basis and is a summary of all of the different things that we do at Axis, whether that's volunteering, community projects, education, and employment, as well as wellbeing. I then create a newsletter that goes out to all users showcasing what we've all done in relation to CSR.

*Vera live in action, delivering a community investment presentation at Millwall stadium!*

I also created a sustainability workshop mainly focused on residents to provide tips and tricks on how to reduce their energy costs, consumer habits, waste-management and sustainable transport.

However, one of my favourite projects is to learn and research new volunteering opportunities for Axis employees. I find, publish and raise interest of volunteering opportunities before booking in employees and sharing their experiences later on across the wider business - a process that I really enjoy.

*Vera guarding the cakes at Axis’ latest fundraising event in aid of charity partner Demelza.*

This includes helping Kellie with sorting out our fundraising events too, whether it be a bake sale or afternoon tea for our corporate charity partner, Demelza. I’ve also helped support our school and college engagements, such as attending careers fairs and hosting workshops.

Outside of this, I was trained to be an internal auditor for Axis last year and since then have been putting my skills into practice and completed a few audits across the different systems we have - just to name a few tasks!

How have you supported Vera’s development since she started as an apprentice at Axis?

Kellie: We always said that Vera would be line managed by me, but that her role would be split evenly between community investment and sustainability, which is Ollie’s team and fits in really nicely with the contents of the progamme.

As Vera previously said, no two days are the same, offering great exposure to both of those roles and literally juggling 101 projects. That's the reality of the job, but I also think it's the beauty of it as well because you are covering so many different areas.

We meet on a weekly basis to have check-ins on progress, but also to make sure that Vera is OK. It's very much also about that frequent communication piece as we're in a hybrid working model of being at home and in the office. We make sure that as a team, when we are in the office, we're in together so we can work collaboratively and I think that's really important in terms of growth and development for an apprentice.

We've also given Vera various different training. She's recently undertaken a photography training course with our marketing team, which means she'll get to go out on-site and capture some photos of the great work that we're doing in the community. There are also various different webinars, events, and conferences that we've put Vera on as well, even just going to a job fair for example, as it's a great way to meet new people and network to grow and develop as a CR&S professional.

*Vera supporting Kellie in one of Axis’ successful fundraising events.*

Any opportunity, as I know when I first started in the role, is a bit of a minefield! You're exposed to so many different areas of a business and it's so important in CSR to be someone that can engage with other people and inspire others that any opportunity to get Vera out of the office and meet new people has been really key!

Finally, in terms of growth and development, Vera in January of this year was recently promoted to Community Investment Coordinator. This speaks volumes in terms of how the apprenticeship has been a stepping stone for Vera and hopefully, she will continue to grow.

What advice does Vera have for anyone considering starting the CR&S apprenticeship?

Vera: Go for it!

In the time that I've been here, I've learned so much. I've improved on so many skills that I either didn't have or had very little of when I started - especially presentation skills and confidence as well as my time management and organisational skills. I think both LDN and my line managers Kellie and Ollie have helped massively with improving these skills.

I’ve also developed new skills such as meeting new people and networking thanks to the apprenticeship building my confidence and creating a mini CR&S network for myself.

Putting both the practical and theory into practice whilst on the job or during the one day of dedicated apprenticeship time has put so much into perspective for me so, I’m certain you’ll learn just as much as I have!

What advice does Kellie have for anyone hiring through the LDN CR&S apprenticeship?

Kellie: Vera took the words out of my mouth… Go for it! I really couldn't fault the communication between Axis and LDN.

I have bi-monthly check-ins with Vera’s Skills Coach Devina, which are fantastic. I personally haven't haven't had exposure to training providers in that aspect before, so it's great to be able to have that additional support from LDN if we need it.

I know that if we ever have any queries we can reach out and we get a response easily along with the constant reporting on Vera’s progress. This access is great for me as I get an overview of what Vera is working on in the apprenticeship and investigate whether there is anything else that we can do as a company to support her.

I definitely say go for it as in terms of the programme itself; it just fits in perfectly with how our Community Investment and Sustainability departments work.

Huge thank you to Vera and Kellie for taking the time to talk to us. We can’t wait to see Vera continue her outstanding work on the apprenticeship and within her role at Axis!

For more information about our Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability programme, click here!