National Apprenticeship Week 2023: Sabrina Rocco

This week is National Apprenticeship Week 2023 (6 February - 12 February 2023) - a chance for us to shine the light on the apprenticeship route at NHS London Procurement Partnership (NHS LPP). We sat down with Sabrina Rocco, Business and Administration Apprentice, who joined NHS LPP in March 2022, to hear more about her apprenticeship journey.

Tell us a bit about your background and how you came to do an apprenticeship at NHS LPP?

I moved to the UK from Naples, Italy, five years ago and my background is in managing hair salons – stemming from working in my family hair salon business in Naples. Having begun a university degree when I was younger in economics and international trade, I’ve always appreciated how continuous learning can open doors to working in different fields.

During the Covid-19 lockdown, it was an opportunity for me to assess what I wanted to do in life and I took business administration and English courses to prepare me for a change in career. Studying opened me up to other potential career routes and that’s when I found, applied and was accepted on to the NHS LPP apprenticeship.

Why did you choose an apprenticeship at NHS LPP?
Working for the NHS was something I was really interested in. I wanted to work for an organisation I could be proud to work for and have a role with a purpose where I could help others, which I definitely feel like I have within my role at NHS LPP. When walking into the NHS LPP office on my first I instantly knew it was meant to be!

What does a typical day look like in your role?
The main part of my role is working with the Sustainability and Social Value team which I’m really enjoying. A recent project I supported with was an analysis of deprived areas in London and what their challenges and priorities were, so that when we were working with suppliers, we could ask how their service could support particular issues faced by areas and make it more personalised for them. This was so we could really help make a positive impact in particular areas in need of greater support. This is a big piece of work and to contribute to it was a privilege. I have also enjoyed learning more and working with the Social Value Portal which is bringing great benefits to our NHS LPP members.

In addition to my work with the Sustainability and Social Value team, I also work with our Finance team, supporting with key financial administration tasks across the business.

What studying are you undertaking as part of the apprenticeship?
Alongside my role, I am completing a Business Administration Level 3 qualification and dedicate one day per week for studying. Modules touch upon organisation structure and hierarchy, compliance of organisations, finance administration, GDPR, health and safety and the Equality Act to name but a few!

Much of what I study is directly applied to my role and a coursework task recently led me to undertake a PESTLE analysis of NHS LPP which allowed me to develop a deeper understanding of what NHS LPP does and how it supports members.

I’m sure many people who are studying alongside full time work would agree that a big challenge is balancing studies with work and ensuring you designate the right amount of time to both work and coursework.

What do you enjoy most about your role?
I love working with teams across the organisation and having the chance to be creative and find solutions to resolve issues.

I really enjoy learning new things and to be in a role where I am stimulated, where I feel like I’m making a difference and where I can work on diverse range of tasks. My apprenticeship role at NHS LPP definitely covers all of these points!

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If you’re interested in a career, including an apprenticeship at NHS LPP, all of our opportunities are advertised on the Guy’s and St Thomas’ website.