Learner Case Study
To the Glassmoon and back: Ellie’s apprenticeship odyssey
At tend, we love hearing how our learners reach new heights following their apprenticeship experience. Take Ellie Mae Colton of Glassmoon Group, for example. As the youngest member of her team, her Level 5 Leader in Adult Care apprenticeship helped her to soar, as she now plays a key role in delivering high-quality care while supporting and developing eight support workers of her own.
Let’s explore how she got there.
Instant impact
Ellie realised quickly that her programme was having an immediate impact on the quality of her support of others. Soon after she had enrolled, completed the onboarding process, and begun her first modules of learning, Ellie saw a shift in her own abilities. She was able to further develop her leadership skills, and become more self-aware and self-assured in general.
More importantly, learning while working enabled Ellie to implement her new skills and knowledge immediately, increasing her value as an employee during the programme, rather than at the end of the course as most traditional classroom-based courses would allow.
Overcoming obstacles
Having been diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia at aged 21, Ellie had reservations as to whether any course of learning she undertook would be able to take her needs into account.
What Ellie found so great about tend was our Additional Learning Support team. From the very start, the team worked alongside her Development Coach and employer to ensure that the learning was adapted and tailored to Ellie’s preferred ways of learning as well as her needs.
This helped Ellie in a number of ways. Most notably, it bolstered her overall confidence and capability in the workplace. “I felt very supported every step of the way,” Ellie later said of the experience.
“I felt very supported every step of the way.”
Ellie Mae Colton
Team Leader, Glassmoon Group
Every learner has a story
With ADHD and Dyslexia, she wasn't sure any course of learning would be take her needs into account.
Ellie was honest on the morning of her End-Point Assessment (EPA), and adjustments were made.
Not only did she pass, but she passed with a Distinction, eradicating any doubts she first had about learning.
Unlocking potential with remarkable results
A highlight of the apprenticeship experience for Ellie was the opportunity to learn across a range of subjects that genuinely interested and inspired her. Through professional discussions and presentations, she developed skills she previous found challenging, particularly speaking confidently in professional settings.
This growth has had a direct and lasting impact on Ellie’s day-to-day role, helping her to become more impactful and effective as a leader. Her team even reflected later that they noticed a significant and positive change in Ellie after the programme.
Despite her initial doubts, and her perceived learning challenges, Ellie not only passed her programme, but she achieved a Distinction, a milestone she continues to be extremely proud of, and that marked how far she had come both personally and professionally.
Once Ellie’s End-Point Assessment (EPA) was finished, and her course completed, the tend team asked her what her advice would be to anyone who, like her in the beginning, wasn’t sure whether an apprenticeship was something they could do. Her reply spoke volumes.
“I’d say, what’s stopping you?” Ellie affirmed. “Knowledge is power. And, if you doubt whether you can do it or not, just remember: if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.”
Ellie’s profound words perfectly sum up the idea that, it’s about finding what you’re best at, and excelling in it, rather than measuring yourself against what others can do. Ellie found her rhythm within her apprenticeship, where support and flexibility empowered her in ways that meant she no longer perceived her ADHD and Dyslexia as barriers to her future success.
Looking ahead, Ellie is optimistic about her path ahead, and now has a cleared idea of how she can reach her goals: via a Career Builders path with tend, and by harnessing the power of apprenticeships.
Her immediate plan is to progress to a Level 7 leadership qualification, opening further opportunities in adult social care, and potentially, taking her all the way to the top; or to put it another way, to the moon.
Ellie Mae Colton works as an adult care Team Leader for Glassmoon Group in Cornwall.
