Council worker helps boost her digital confidence through work-based learning

Following the completion of her A Levels in 2024, ACT learner, Emily Thompson, decided she wanted to step into the world of work. She soon landed the position of Project Support Officer within Cardiff Council’s Major Projects Team. Alongside her role, she has undertaken an apprenticeship in Digital Skills for Business – a qualification that goes hand-in-hand with her professional role. 

“My qualification links to my work as a lot of the applications I use day to day – such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel – are covered in my course,” Emily said. “It helps me learn new skills as well as develop the skills I already have.” 

Keen to continue learning after finishing school, Emily saw an apprenticeship as the ideal pathway to build her skills while gaining real-world experience.  

“I knew I wanted to continue to educate myself particularly in the digital world as most businesses use digital applications,” she explained. “I thought that an apprenticeship was a great way to do that as I would be able to learn in a supportive environment.” 

Throughout her course, Emily has enjoyed developing her understanding of databases and spreadsheets, which were areas she hadn’t previously explored in depth.  

“At first, I found them really tricky to navigate and it was easy to make mistakes as I wasn’t confident or comfortable with using them,” she said. “Since learning about how to use databases, I feel I understand how to use them more and I am not as nervous to use them.” 

Due to the nature of an apprenticeship, Emily has been able to apply her learning directly in the workplace. Whether that’s through improving her Microsoft Teams knowledge to developing her SharePoint skills, Emily began to see the impact of her studies immediately.  

“I was able to expand my knowledge on how to edit pages and add users within SharePoint. Undertaking the Digital Skills for Business qualification has been extremely useful as lots of the assessments, both mandatory and optional, have linked to my work which has helped me further develop in skill but also in confidence.” 

Support from ACT has also played a role in Emily’s progress as she receives regular reviews, workshops and communications from her tutor.  

“I have a monthly review with my assessor who reviews my works and provides any feedback to allow me to further improve,” she said. “In these sessions we also talk about my own personal progress in work and my mental wellbeing.” 

Workshops have also proven useful. Emily explained: “I have been able to attend some online workshops for certain assessments which have been extremely helpful as I have been able to ask any questions and get instant feedback.” 

For those considering a similar course, Emily encourages learners to step outside their comfort zone and make the most of the opportunities available.   

“While you may want to choose something that you are already comfortable with, it may also be a great opportunity to learn something new and be able to be supported with your learning by your assessor,” she said. 

Looking ahead, Emily is excited about continuing her journey in the digital field.  

“While I’m not sure on what I want to do in the future, I can certainly say that I would like to continue to work in the digital space,” Emily explained. “I am very passionate about sport so if I could find a job which could mix the two together then that would be great.” 

If you’re looking to follow in Emily’s footsteps and improve your digital skills, you can find out more about the Digital Skills for Business qualification here.