Hayley is a recent graduate of the Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship (CMDA) programme at Canterbury Christ Church University. Intended for professional managers, the CDMA has been co-designed with employers and validated by the Chartered Management Institute, of which graduates become members. It helps to develop managerial and leadership practice within an ever-changing professional landscape.

Speaking of her decision to join the CDMA programme, Hayley said: “I’ve always loved my work, but there were occasions when I was conscious of interviewing job applicants who were far better qualified than me. Although I knew how to do the job, I wanted validation, to prove that I could get that level of qualification, and so I joined the CMDA. The feeling of accomplishment when you graduate is really special, especially to have it confirmed that you can do these things if you really apply yourself.”

Bird Wise is a partnership of local authorities, developers and environmental organisations. It was set up to address the impact that new development will have on bird populations in protected areas on the Thames, Medway and Swale Estuaries.

Recreational visitors can cause disturbance to these birds which reduces their chances of successful breeding, and local authorities must not grant consent for a development likely to have a significant effect unless full mitigation is provided. Developers can do this themselves or, instead, make a contribution to Bird Wise, whose activities include a team of Rangers delivering education and raising awareness of birds and disturbance; and physical interventions such as screening and footpath diversions. Bird Wise also supports such activity by monitoring how the coast is being used by both humans and bird life.

Hayley dealt with real-life work issues on many of her assignments. The Service Management module saw her begin the process of redesigning Rangers’ contracts. The organisation’s marketing is now informed by analysis which Hayley introduced through the Marketing Principles and Practice module, using stakeholder mapping and consultation to develop Bird Wise’s mission and values. Hayley added: “We didn’t use these techniques before, but we are now confident and can make better decisions that are easier to implement.”

The three-year course draws upon the Christ Church Business School’s academic expertise and is distinctive in its integration of academic learning with the world of work, with apprentices bringing real management problems into the classroom, just like Hayley. During term time Apprentices attend the University for one working day per week, with considerably more time spent on learning outside the classroom.

For Hayley, starting the CMDA felt challenging. She was new to academic writing and admits to a fear that she wouldn’t be able to cope. This soon passed, however, and she quickly realised that she was more capable than she thought. She explains: “It is important to do the reading, and you can always ask your peers or tutors if you are not sure. There is always support if you need it.”

“I also appreciated the support of my family, having to adjust to my study needs, when I had to lock myself away, as well as the way my work accommodated my needs. She explained: “I’d spend a day a week studying but that really meant me squeezing five days’ work into four. I had to manage my time well and was lucky to work with sympathetic people, and a big advantage in this regard was that I could apply my studies directly to my day job.

“I realise how lucky I am to have my job, which is a lovely mixture of the office and nature. I would never have said it before, but I now see that I’m quite good at it. More broadly, the CMDA was time I could devote to me which is important in a busy world.”