Alumni Spotlight: David Ward

For David Ward, his apprenticeship with LSP ran in tandem with his two-year Project Management graduate scheme, offering him the best of both worlds.

“We did the apprenticeship in tandem with my graduate scheme, which offered the opportunity to learn all the theory and work towards both the apprenticeship and the APM PMQ qualification. This was good motivation to gain theoretical knowledge alongside the practical application in everyday work, and it showed in how they complemented each other.”

Gaining Knowledge and Perspective

David highlighted how the apprenticeship helped him understand the bigger picture behind his role:

“I learned more around the reasoning and justification behind why our processes at work worked like they do, and how all the seemingly separate parts of managing projects can come together to have a coherent management strategy. There’s a lot of terminology to learn, and studying that helped me get a feel for it - and how what it referred to could be applied in the workplace.”

Shaping a Career in Project Management

The programme gave David the confidence and qualifications to take his next steps in project management:

“It’s helped me learn more about project management and get recognised qualifications, which will help me going forwards with career progression. It’s shown me that I can learn something completely new and gain skills that I can use in all aspects of my work. The apprenticeship and APM PMQ provided a foundation I can build on as I progress my career.”

Achievements and Milestones

One achievement stands out for David:

“My biggest achievement is getting 87% on my APM PMQ exam at the first attempt. It took a lot of studying and revision to achieve, and I think it shows how hard I worked towards getting a good mark, in conjunction with the teaching sessions we got through the apprenticeship.”

Going Above and Beyond

David’s dedication has also been recognised outside of his formal role.

“I’ve been recognised for the large amount of internal voluntary work I do - running my site’s social network. This involves putting on events, running talks, welcoming new starters, and more. I’m well known among senior leaders as a result, and I’m constantly pushing them to provide more for the social side of the business to better the wellbeing of all our employees.”

David’s Advice

His advice for anyone considering an apprenticeship with LSP is:

“Do it! There’s no better time for upskilling than the present, so make the most of the quality of teaching and resources they provide to learn as much as you can. The tutors are all brilliant and really care about you achieving as much as you can, so if you put the same amount of effort in as they do you’ll do really well, and learn valuable new skills.”

David’s journey is a great example of how combining practical experience with structured learning can open doors to new skills, recognised qualifications, and long-term career growth. His story highlights the value of apprenticeships in building confidence, advancing careers, and making a lasting impact in the workplace.