Success Story

From instinct to evidence:
how my apprenticeship
changed the way I work

Name:

Gill Stoney

Programme:

Project Controls Professional Apprenticeship (Level 6)

Role & Company

Workforce Scheduling Team Manager at St John Ambulance

Course Sales Growth

900%

increase in monthly sales

Before CRM

5/year

courses sold

After CRM

4–7/ month

consistently maintained

The Starting Point

As a Workforce Scheduling Team Manager, I am responsible for ensuring that resource planning, rota creation, and workforce deployment support the operational needs of the charity’s services. My daily duties include coordinating schedules, managing absence requests, and ensuring service levels and agreements are maintained. I also support staff with scheduling and payroll enquiries, collaborate with other departments to forecast staffing requirements, and use workforce management systems to maintain data accuracy.

Responsibilities

My Role

I have supported major projects within this role and other roles across the charity, and as part of my professional development, I wanted to increase my knowledge and understanding of this field to make my contribution to projects more successful and effective.

“The goal was to move from event-driven work to work based on scientific methodology and data.”

Business Development

Driving growth and new business opportunities

Outcomes

What I’ve learned
and how I’ve applied it

Throughout the apprenticeship with Kent Business College, I have developed a deeper understanding of organisational processes, Project Management priorities, managing of portfolios and now about to start on Risk Management within projects. I have learned how to analyse business needs more effectively, interpret data to inform decisions, and communicate more confidently with both colleagues and management. I’ve also gained valuable insight into Risk and Quality Management within projects over the last couple of months. And supporting this I have had the opportunity to have amazing tutors- Ray Mead, Stepehen Jenner and Amgad Badewi and the opportunity to have development training on systems such as Primavera and MS Project. The college has arranged supplementary training on Primavera and MS Project which has supported learning and also supplemented assignment submissions. The college has also arranged in person conferences for us as learners and the opportunity to learn from industry experts and network with other students has been an amazing opportunity.

Key Initiative

Building a CRM & Email Marketing System From Scratch

The achievement Iu2019m most proud of is something I built during the apprenticeship that didnu2019t exist before: a CRM system and email marketing function for Exporter Services.

Before I set this up, we were selling around 5 courses a year. There was no structured way of nurturing existing customers, no consistent communication, and no system for staying front of mind between enquiries. I spent the summer of 2025 building the CRM from scratch, so it was ready to go by the autumn.

Using what Iu2019d learned about customer journeys, segmentation, and strategic marketing planning, I developed an email marketing approach focused on selling courses to our existing customer base. The results took a couple of months to buildu00a0 which felt entirely normal but once the momentum was there, it was clear something had genuinely shifted. We went from 5 course sales a year to consistently selling 4 to 7 courses every month: roughly a 900% increase in monthly sales volume, sustained over several months.

Thatu2019s not just a number on a slide. Thatu2019s real commercial impact, delivered through a combination of strategic thinking and practical applicationu00a0 exactly what the apprenticeship has helped me develop.

Before

Infrastructure

No CRM Systemnnn

Marketing Strategy

No Customer Nurturingnn

Results

5 Courses/Yearnn

After

Infrastructure

CRM Implementednn

Marketing Strategy

Email Marketing Strategyn

Results

4u20137 Courses/Monthn

5 courses/year

4-7 courses/month

Consistent growth through systematic approach

Real Results

900%

Growth in Monthly Course Sales

Real commercial impact driven by strategic marketing skills learned during the apprenticeship. From instinct-based decisions to data-driven strategy.

The Transformation

The apprenticeship didn't just give me a qualification . it changed how I think and approach my work.

Skills developed

The apprenticeship has significantly strengthened my ability to perform effectively in my role and assignments I have produced has increased my learning and understanding within my role and how the organisation manages their projects and work with other colleagues to gain better knowledge. I can now approach workforce challenges with a more analytical and strategic mindset, using data and structured methods rather than instinct alone. It has also helped me work more collaboratively with my manager and other teams by improving my communication and presenting skills. Overall, the apprenticeship has increased my confidence, helped me contribute more proactively to discussions, and enabled me to make more informed and impactful decisions. I look forward to continuing this journey over the coming months and the further opportunities.

Gill Stoney

Workforce Scheduling Team Manager at St John Ambulance

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