As apprenticeships combine full-time working with education, managing your time may seem challenging. Daily duties, assessment plans, and apprenticeship training are there enough hours in the day?
In this blog, we provide guidance and top tips on how you can sharpen your time management skills and improve your overall organisation whilst completing an apprenticeship, making the most out of the working week:
MAKE A TO-DO LIST
A daily to-do list can help structure your day, think of it as a road map – with the last task being your final destination. Writing down your list of tasks with the highest priorities at the top will make your workload seem manageable, and help you stick to your deadlines. Not only will to-do lists help you improve your time management, but you’ll be surprised at the sense of achievement you’ll feel when you tick off a daunting task!
Although you can’t beat a good old fashioned pen and piece of paper, there are now platforms where you can create virtual to-do lists such as Trello and Microsoft To Do.
AVOID DISTRACTIONS
Whether you’re in an office environment or working remotely, we all face distractions in the workplace. Lock away your mobile phone in a drawer or locker and close all tabs that aren’t relevant to the task you’re completing.
To block out any notifications from your group chats or social media apps, try downloading Forest. This app is designed to help you focus, you will plant a tree and set a timer for how long you want to remain productive. If you don’t use your phone or visit a site you’ve blocked during this time period, your tree will continue to grow – you could even grow your own forest!
DEDICATE TIME FOR APPRENTICESHIP WORK
Your employer should allocate you time during the working week to complete apprenticeship related work. Once you have agreed when this will be, book time in your calendar on a weekly basis to complete any outstanding assignments or redraft assessment plans that you have feedback on. By blocking this time out in your calendar, other members of your team will know that you’re busy and avoid setting you any additional tasks.
USE GRAMMARLY
Everyone makes mistakes, and a second pair of eyes is sometimes needed to spot incorrect grammar or spelling errors. Proofing tools can spot these, saving you time and leading to work being signed off quicker.
Grammarly is a free tool that can identify these simple mistakes for you and could be the difference in an assessment plan being signed off or sent back to make changes.
BE HONEST
An apprenticeship is classed as full-time education, so if your daily duties are becoming unmanageable alongside your apprenticeship work, be honest about it! If a deadline is too soon with the other tasks on your radar, this may be reflected in the standard of your work. As cliche as it sounds, honesty is the best policy, so discuss any concerns relating to your workload with your line manager or mentor and come up with a solution.
ASK FOR SUPPORT
As an apprentice, you will have a mentor to support you in both the workplace and from your training provider. At Baltic, we have a team of Programme Coaches who guide every learner through the apprenticeship journey – offering support and guidance every step of the way.
If you are struggling with an assignment, unsure what evidence counts towards your off the job hours, or you just have a general enquiry, don’t wait until your next session or review to bring it up. Email or call your mentor and resolve this issue, this will save time and allow you to remain productive and not fall behind on your work.
Related blog: What is an Apprenticeship Coach?
FIND OUT MORE
We hope these tips and tricks have helped you with effectively managing your time, if you are ready to take the first step in your apprenticeship journey, check out our latest vacancies. Alternatively, browse our range of apprenticeship programmes to learn more about our courses.