When she opened the email, Brooke thought someone was having a joke.
“It was a bit of a shock, really. I mean, I didn’t even know that I’d been put up for the award!”
Brooke’s surprise soon turned into delight as she read on, and realised that her boss, Natalie, had nominated her – several months earlier – for the ‘everywoman in Transport and Logistics Award.’
“I just got this random e-mail saying I’d been shortlisted and that I had an interview with two of the judges in two weeks time, and I was like, oh my god Nat, what have you done?”
She laughs as she recalls that day back in March, Brooke’s bubbly enthusiasm equally matched by her boss, Natalie, sitting beside her.
“We’re a very small department looking after the marketing and communications for BIFA, and when I say small; it’s essentially just me and Brooke,” she smiles.
“When I went on maternity leave, Brooke was just 11 months into her apprenticeship, but I knew I was leaving everything in safe hands.
The ‘everywoman in Transport and Logistics Awards’ aim to shine a spotlight on the Transport and Logistics industry’s most exceptional talent.
“Returning to work after maternity leave can be a challenging transition; as you are trying to regain that part of your identity and adjust to new routines. Yet Brooke was really supportive and understanding.
“Throughout all of this, Brooke was still studying for her apprenticeship. When I found out Brooke had not only passed her endpoint assessment, but achieved a distinction, I wanted to show my appreciation so that’s why I nominated her.””
Personal resonance
Brooke joined BIFA (The British International Freight Association) as their first ever apprentice when she was just 18 years old.
Natalie had met some of the team at Seetec to find out more about recruiting an apprentice and, after chatting to one of BIFA’s directors, decided it was the route they’d like to take.
It had a personal resonance for Natalie, too: “I loved school, but I didn’t enjoy college at all, so I didn’t go on to university,” she explains.
“Instead, I chose employment, started from the bottom of the chain, worked my way up to management level, gaining knowledge from various different departments and industries.
“I didn’t need a degree to achieve that. I know a lot of roles in our sector do require a degree but I didn’t feel that was a necessary qualification to get.
“So I knew it would be ideal to give someone that same opportunity.”
Brooke’s apprenticeship lasted 18 months and she is now a real advocate for this particular route into work:
“I first met Junior from Seetec on my second or third day and had pretty regular chats with him throughout my apprenticeship, especially towards the end,” she shares.
Not as scary as it sounds
“He was a very big support to me. He had to deal with a lot of stress for me. Bless his heart! He was probably sick of me by the end, but he never showed it.
“He obviously knew the situation that I was in – in terms of Nat being on maternity leave. He was just a massive support, and genuinely I could not have done it without him.”
Brooke says the opportunities she’s been given are amazing and she is a big fan of Seetec.
“At the time, because of everything else going on, it just got really overwhelming. So Junior would sit me down and explain it’s not as scary as it sounds.
“Seetec – and Junior especially – have just been a massive help during my apprenticeship. They really have.”
Holistic support
The mutual respect between Brooke and Natalie is palpable, and they both agree that introducing apprenticeships to the organisation for the first time, meant they had to look at some different ways of working.
“It became apparent very soon,” says Natalie, “that we had to get used to some working practices we hadn’t been used to before.
“The rest of the workforce had to adapt a little too, and understand that Brooke was studying as well as working, so we ring-fenced some time each week so Brooke could work on her apprenticeship without interruption.”
I think the transparency and having a bit of a checklist of what to expect, helped me massively as a line manager.
The Seetec apprenticeship team work in an holistic way, providing support for both the apprentice and the employer. Something Natalie admits was a huge help as she adapted to the new situation:
“I can’t say I knew much about the process. So I asked Seetec for a bit of a checklist.
“They were really helpful and supported me from a line manager perspective.
“It’s about making sure the apprentice has time to not only do what you want them to do for the company, but also for them to focus on their own personal development and complete their apprenticeship training.
“Just having that road map made it easier. I had a breakdown of the modules Brooke was working through. The more resources that line managers receive, the more confidence it builds.
What’s next?
With the apprenticeship over, and an award ceremony on the horizon, what’s next for Brooke?
“I’ve been looking at a Level 6 course,” she says. “I’m considering a Diploma in Professional and Digital Marketing.”
And maybe, just maybe, there’s a bottle of bubbly on ice somewhere, ready for some good news when Brooke joins the other finalists in the everywoman Apprentice Awards when she attends the glittering ceremony on June 26, 2025.
We wish her the best of luck from all of us at Seetec!
More
The everywoman in Transport and Logistics Apprentice Award is awarded to an enterprising female apprentice who is making an exceptional contribution to their organisation in their early career – everywoman.com website.
If you’d like to find out more about Seetec’s apprenticeships, please take a look at the opportunities and information on our website.
