Last year, we welcomed two apprentices, Tom Hipkin and Alex King, to work with FDRI on our sustainability strategy and Monitoring & Evaluation approach. From managing stakeholder expectations to balancing multiple priorities, Tom and Alex share their experience below.
Key learnings
Working on FDRI provided a valuable opportunity for both of us to contribute to a major piece of national research infrastructure while developing our own project delivery skills.
For Tom, a key learning from the project was the importance of establishing a strong foundation at the beginning of delivery. Setting clear expectations, aligning stakeholders early, and creating space for structured planning made a significant difference as the work progressed. Developing the sustainability strategy also highlighted the value of transparent communication and consistent messaging across different parts of the project, helping to ensure stakeholder buy-in and alignment with wider FDRI objectives.
For Alex, the experience provided important insights into how to effectively engage with stakeholders outside of the project management profession. Much of the work involved collaborating with colleagues from scientific backgrounds, which required adapting communication styles and approaches to suit different ways of working. Tailoring conversations and outputs to the needs and expertise of those stakeholders proved essential in developing a practical Monitoring and Evaluation framework for the programme.
For both of us, one of the most rewarding aspects of the project was the opportunity to work closely with an organisation outside of UKRI and gain insight into how they operate. Contributing to a project focused on improving resilience to flooding and drought also reinforced the wider impact that well-delivered projects can have, which was a motivating part of the experience.
What we’re doing now
Since completing our work on FDRI, we have both graduated from our undergraduate? degrees and have continued developing our project delivery careers within UKRI. We are currently exploring opportunities to progress into senior project management roles within Project Delivery & Improvement, and both have interviews coming up for these positions.
We are also continuing to build on the experience gained during our apprenticeships by applying similar approaches to stakeholder engagement, planning, and programme support in our current work. Looking ahead, we are keen to keep developing our skills and contribute to projects that deliver meaningful impact across the research and innovation system.
Are you interested in taking on an apprentice for your project, or in doing an apprenticeship? Head to UKRI's website here to find out more.