From Youth Leader to HR Innovator: Joe’s Apprenticeship Accelerates His Career

Discover how Joe transformed community youth work into a strategic HR and L&D career with just one apprenticeship.

At a Glance:

• 🔹 Name: Joe Philipson
  🏢 Employer: Riverside Housing, Carlisle
  📚 Course: Level 5 Learning & Development Consultant Apprenticeship
  💼 Role: Training Executive
  🎯 Goal: Advance into HR consultancy by gaining new L&D and strategic skills

Professional Journey So Far

After sixth form, Joe spent five years in London working for a youth development charity. He led leadership programmes, designed curriculums, and collaborated with senior government figures - even meeting prime ministers!

He later returned to run top-rated youth programmes in Cumbria and Lancashire before pivoting into HR via his Training Executive role at Riverside Housing.

Recently, Joe secured an exciting new opportunity within Riverside as a Business Change and Adoption Manager on a 9-month secondment. 

“During my interview, I was able to confidently explain how the apprenticeship has developed my strategic thinking and practical skills, which really demonstrated my readiness for this new role,” says Joe.

Deciding to do the Apprenticeship

With a passion for developing people and a clear aim to move into HR leadership roles, Joe chose the Level 5 Learning and Development Consultant Apprenticeship to formalise his skills. He wanted to complement his experience and accelerate his path into consultancy or management.

Course Impact in the Workplace

“️I’ve always been a good facilitator, but now I know why my workshops work and how to make them even more effective,” says Joe.

He’s also gained confidence to mentor others and engage senior stakeholders with authority and strategic insight.

Although still completing the programme, Joe is already reaping the benefits of his learning.

"I now speak the language of learning and development with evidence-based confidence, and my growing understanding of strategic insights and frameworks is enabling me to influence senior staff more effectively."

These developments are directly increasing his professional credibility and impact.

Without the Apprenticeship

Without this structured learning, Joe believes he’d still rely on instinct rather than theory and wouldn’t be able to carry out high-level L&D discussions or influence senior decision‑makers so effectively.

He also believes he might not have secured his recent promotion to Business Change and Adoption Manager if it weren’t for his apprenticeship, which he credits for equipping him with the strategic skills and credibility needed to confidently take on the responsibilities of this more senior role.

Conclusion

Joe's journey shows how a worked-based apprenticeship can propel a career by blending real-world experience with structured learning. He’s now confidently shaping training programmes, influencing senior stakeholders, and progressing toward his goal in HR consultancy. With his apprenticeship, Joe is not just working towards a qualification -he’s building strategic leadership and future-proofing his career.