Lewis started working for BEP Surface Technologies (Bury) at the age of 18 as an Apprentice Engineer, progressing to a role in the chemical side of the business after completing his apprenticeship. Whilst working as an Apprentice Engineer he completed an NVQ in Engineering and a number of National Association of Surface Finishing qualifications. He briefly left the organisation to undertake a Production Manager role with another company before retuning to BEP to become a Project Sales Engineer.
Having undertaken a range of technical courses and qualifications, Lewis decided the time was right to develop his management skills to support him in his career in a leadership role. He opted to do this with support and guidance of the team at Instep UK having heard about the Level 3 CMI Certificate from his Operations Director. Lewis noted that enrolling onto the course was straightforward and that he was able to do this remotely, which was really helpful given his demanding role.
Talking about his experience it is clear to see that Lewis has taken an extensive amount away from his learning experience and that he is applying some of the theories and techniques that he developed throughout the course in his daily activities. He says he is now more self aware of his actions as a manager in the workplace and how he is perceived by other people through his communications and by his behaviour. Quizzes Lewis completed relating to team dynamics have specifically helped him to reflect on his own natural instincts to race ahead with a project whish isn’t always the best approach to dealing with scenarios. Similarly, he has being using some of the problem solving techniques that he has cultivated through his participation on the course when dealing with issues that arise with certain aspects of production that he gets involved with.
Lewis talks very highly of the support and guidance that he received throughout the course from his tutor, Gillian Millen. He noted that her passion and commitment for ensuring that the group got the best learning experience was second to none, adding that it is clear to see how much she enjoys her job. Feedback on work produced as part of the course was in his opinion both timely and detailed, providing the right level of encouragement and direction needed for him to succeed in his assessments. When asked about his thoughts on the e-learning aspect of the course, Lewis was equally full of praise noting that this was interactive and engaging and a key element of his learning journey.
When asked if he would recommend the course to others Lewis noted that he would definitely encourage others to enrol and gain a deeper understanding of all things Leadership and Management. He even mentioned that he has already been attempting to get others at BEP to get involved!
Looking to the future Lewis is keen to build on his newly achieved Level 3 qualification and develop his leadership knowledge, skills and behaviours further. The team at Instep UK wish Lewis all the best in his pursuit of further professional development.
