A success story
Helen’s success story.
Get Set for growing as a leader through Apprenticeships.
A success story
Get Set for growing as a leader through Apprenticeships.
Apprenticeships | 02 October 2025
With over 20 years at Essex County Council, Helen Akpabio decided to take on a new challenge through the SEATS programme and enrolled on the ILM Level 5 Operational Management Apprenticeship with Get Set UK. Already an experienced manager, Helen wanted to formalise her skills and align practical experience with leadership theory.
From the start, the Apprenticeship has helped her develop new ways of leading. She has introduced more coaching techniques into one-to-ones, changed the structure of team meetings to give everyone a voice, and built confidence to explore new and sometimes daunting topics such as AI and data.
Standout moments throughout Helen’s Apprenticeship so far:
✔️ Gaining confidence through constructive feedback and overcoming early fears about assignments
✔️ Stepping up to represent her manager at a networking event, taking on a leadership role despite initial nerves
✔️ Presenting at the Active City York Conference, delivering the same session five times back-to-back to different audiences, an opportunity she once would have declined
✔️ Taking part in a partner video testimonial and surprising herself by not only managing the nerves but enjoying the experience
Helen credits much of her progress to her Learning and Development Mentor, Keeley with her guidance and encouragement helping her overcome self-doubt, reflect more deeply on her leadership style, and try out new methods and tools in practice, commenting “Keeley has been a fantastic support, helping me see things differently and encouraging me to step out of my comfort zone. I’m now more confident in my leadership style and excited to keep developing.”
Her story highlights how apprenticeships can transform both skills and mindset, empowering experienced professionals to thrive in leadership roles.
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