Never Too Late: Apprenticeship For All | by Fiona Northover

I had an urge to write this, as a little nod to those apprentices that might be considered more ‘mature’.  As they say, ‘Fine wine improves with age.’ and I like to think that we, the older cohort, are not dissimilar (they also say that about some cheeses, but that doesn’t sound quite as sexy! 😉)

To be totally honest, before Multiverse hit my radar,  I would never have considered an apprenticeship was possible in my late forties - I held a misconception that apprenticeships were only for the younger generation, just stepping out of school or college, but was pleased to discover that this is totally untrue.  There is an exceptional array of older apprentices in the Multiverse community and it’s great to have the opportunity to learn about their journeys. 

I chose to step back from a career in the City around 21 years ago to focus on family but was excited to get ‘back into business’ once the children were at school. I was initially overwhelmed at how much changes in such a small space of time - from the huge advances in technology and business practices to the culture of working life and shifts in the nature of team dynamics.  

I have since discovered that pausing to have a family didn’t mean that I wasn’t still learning – I was unconsciously honing skills.  Parenthood helped me develop my skills of negotiation, patience, empathy, listening, holding space, and in its own way, leadership: skills that are completely valuable and transferable to the workplace.  A parent can multitask like a wizard and in the case of squabbling siblings, manage conflict like a pro!   Age and experience, whether through parenthood or otherwise, equip us with a unique toolkit that can be utilised as a part of a team or a leader of one…

(source:  Quotefancy.com) 

To be honest, I was nervous and hesitant about committing to the Business Transformation course and my mind and emotions were constantly pummelling me with negative self-talk (and holy moly, the imposter syndrome was real!) - especially doing this a little later in life -  but this experience has been hugely impactful so far; feeling part of this community, discovering so much through the various workshops and webinars; being exposed to so many interesting, varied people from different industries, generations, professions and backgrounds (albeit online) – all of which has opened my world that bit more.

I have been on the Business Transformation apprenticeship for about 7 months now and it’s amazing how much you glean from people’s achievements and challenges.  Learning ‘on the job’ has been, for me, so valuable - especially in this ever-changing technology-driven world!  I love meeting a younger cohort too and am in awe of their confidence and capabilities – the shared experience has the capacity to teach us so much!

Accumulating deeper business knowledge and skills has triggered a more meaningful impact in the work I do with my team, from supporting them in refining processes to the incremental setup of a new service and I can’t wait to see what we can do next!  Participating in the apprenticeship has nudged me into stepping into more confident shoes and has helped me acknowledge that, despite my nagging inner critic, they fit quite nicely!  

I’m excited to be offering this as my first blog contribution and also looking forward to embarking as a mentee on the Mentor Programme (I have basically grabbed every opportunity that has been presented on this course!)    

I wholeheartedly believe – as I am sure many of you do – that it is never too late to try something new, venture into something different, or push yourself out of your comfort zone, whatever your age….

Fiona Northover is a Studio Manager and Business Transformation apprentice at Karen McClure Garden Design based in the UK.