The Boardroom Apprentice is a 12-month unique learning, development and placement programme that gives people the opportunity to learn how to serve on a public or third sector board and gain experience.
To accurately represent the communities across Northern Ireland, boardrooms need diverse people to share their skills and lived experience. The overall aim of the programme is ‘to move the board member role from aspiration to reality’.
Here’s what Boardroom Apprentices from previous years have to say about why you should apply for the latest Boardroom Apprentice cohort:
1. You can advance in your career
Carla Shields, a senior information security and risk analyst for TRG Screens didn’t know what to expect when she began the application process.
Through her journey with Boardroom Apprentice, Carla went on to take a ‘leap’ and shortly after the programme she moved from the public sector to the private sector and took on a new challenge.
She said: “The Boardroom Apprentice experience helped push me out of my comfort zone and was definitely a catalyst in helping me take that step into the Boardroom as I am now a Further Education Governor with the Southern Regional College”.
The confidence she gained through her experience benefited her personally and professionally as she was able to sit around a table with highly experienced people from a range of different industries, sectors, backgrounds and people who had so much more lived experiences.
2.“Your confidence will grow, your experience will grow, your knowledge will grow.”
Looking for something different, primary school teacher Jackie Coade got involved with Boardroom Apprentice to give back to the community.
She said: “I would encourage anyone to get involved because, not only will it benefit you personally, but think of the organisations who need you! The learning is immense. It is a commitment, but it is a commitment that does pay off and is really worth it.”
3. It’s a phenomenal learning experience
Not knowing exactly what to expect from the programme, Management Consultant, Jo McGinley took a chance on the application process. With low expectations of the quality of the training aspect of the 12-month experience, she was blown away by the in-depth knowledge and learning she received.
“The experiential learning throughout the year was just phenomenal. I learned so much having that unlimited access to committees, boards and decision making. I had a boardroom buddy whom I could ask the silliest questions and they were able to support me in navigating the board processes and governance. It was genuinely one of the best learning experiences of my career.”
4. It will change your life
Taking a temporary break from her successful career at a global industrial technology company, Sensata Technologies, Adriana Morvaiova applied for the Boardroom Apprentice to pursue her passion for giving back to the wider community.
For Adriana, her time in the programme was somewhat life-changing as it gave her the increased confidence and self-belief that would help her reach lofty heights in her professional career.
She explained: My life has improved significantly since the Boardroom Apprentice. I knew it was going to be a challenge and all my expectations were exceeded and met.
“It was an accelerator for me to understand, not just myself as a human, but what I wanted from my career or what I needed to do with my strengths and weaknesses. It changed me and gave me so much confidence.”
If you are passionate about making change happen, if you want to make a difference in people’s lives and communities or if you want to gain valuable experience and learn how to influence, then the Boardroom Apprentice is for you.