Meet the Apprentice 2022: An interview with Euon Brown in the Strategy and Improvement team
Three quarters of apprentices on the Mayor of Lewisham's Apprenticeship programme have moved into permanent roles. That figure is even higher for Council apprenticeships, with 82% of participants progressing into permanent employment.
Euon Brown started his Council apprenticeship in 2010. Twelve years later he is a Support for Families Programme Manager with his own trainee.
Tell us a bit about yourself
I started out as an IT trainee. I then moved to HR before finding a permanent home in the Strategy and Improvement team. I’m all about data. I love the way the way the information impacts our strategy so we can help and support as many families as possible. I’m also Dennis’s line manager.
You started out as an apprentice yourself. How do you now find managing an apprentice?
It feels like I’ve come full circle. Having been through the programme myself and having climbed the ladder, I can really empathise with the apprentices I manage and that makes it easier to connect with them. I actually feel really lucky to have the opportunity to support Dennis, my current apprentice, on his journey and to help him develop him. He’s a brilliant analyst and I know he’ll go far.
What support do you offer your apprentices?
We have 1:1 sessions every week. I’ll always check first that Dennis is feeling OK. The pandemic hasn’t been easy for anybody and, at the moment, we're still all working from home. I just want to let him know the support is there, if he needs it. My role is to set him up to win. It’s about challenging him, developing him and push him further. Ultimately we would love to retain him once he finishes his apprenticeship.
What’s it been like working during the pandemic?
In normal times, we'd have an analyst's hub where the team can sit together and share ideas and experiences. Since the pandemic began there's obviously been less physical contact but Teams means we're still able to come together as a group and have those same conversations. As a team we're way more focussed on delivery. I feel like I make more effort to check in on people too as there are definitely less of those watercooler moments..