Apprenticeship Week: "When employers step up, it makes all the difference"

Supporting young talent to enter and thrive in our industry is essential to ensuring the future vibrancy, innovation, and success of our placemaking approach.

As we celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, with the theme Skills for Life, our Trainee Project Manager Raheim Clemetson, who recently began his Bachelor of Science Degree at Salford University, shares his experience of his secondment at Chroma and the valuable skills he developed during his time there.

Raheim’s journey with Muse, and within the regeneration industry, started with a 2-week work experience placement with our Salford-based team.

The experience proved so valuable, both for Muse and Raheim, we created an apprenticeship within our own Muse Academy, so we could continue to support Raheim’s career and invest in our team.

As well as apprenticeships, the Muse Academy supports work experience opportunities and T-Level students across our business – including a grassroots partnership with Oldham College.

We spoke to Raheim about his journey at Muse and how secondment opportunities made a valuable contribution to his learning. We also spoke to Chris Holden, Director at Chroma Consulting who played a key role in mentoring Raheim during his secondment.

By Raheim Clemetson, Trainee Project Manager

In 2024 I completed and passed my apprenticeship at Muse, giving me a Level 3 Construction Support Technician qualification. At the start of National Apprenticeship Week, it’s the right time to reflect on what makes an apprenticeship so valuable and how Muse has supported by journey so far.

In addition to the valuable on-the-job training and work experience opportunities facilitated directly by Muse, I was lucky enough to secure unique secondment opportunities with several businesses from across the industry.

One of these was Chroma Consulting. Chroma is a small team which works closely with Muse to deliver Project Management, Employers Agent, Contract Administration, and Development Management Services. The team has supported the delivery of New Victoria, and Eden, the award-winning sustainable office in Salford.

I enjoyed an interesting and varied two weeks with Chroma. I took part in site inspections, liaised with design teams, managed information schedules, and attended contractors’ meetings.

The whole experience had a positive impact on both my understanding of what it took to deliver complex regeneration, and my confidence.

Underpinning the whole experience was how Chroma stepped up and were proactive, engaged, and supportive. In my view, employer engagement is fundamental to a successful secondment experience.

KSB Outputs (knowledge, skills, and behaviours) are assessed and measured throughout an apprenticeship. They include things like health and safety, use of technology, sustainability, and ethics.

Chroma took the time to understand them and organise opportunities which would have an impact and directly support my development.

The result was that each experience added real and genuine value to my studies. It made the short two-week experience one of the most valuable periods of my apprenticeship.

It meant I was able to return to Muse with new experiences and different perspectives to enrich my work and share new approaches with my team.

To those considering an apprenticeship – go for it. It may sound a little cheesy, but I can genuinely say it’s changed my life. I already feel more advanced than my peers and have a stepping stone to a successful long-term career in regeneration.

When you can work directly with employers, such as Muse and Chroma, those which are engaged and generous with their time will make all the difference.

Chris Holden, Director at Chroma Consulting:

Although Raheim only worked with us for two weeks, he had a big impact. The feedback we received from the team was exemplary and it was clear that he could pick up tasks quickly and pro-actively take things on.

Working with talented apprentices like Raheim is exciting for our business. We are a small team and the ability to hand over smaller tasks and responsibilities – when we have the confidence they will be completed to a high standard – is invaluable to us.

For businesses thinking about supporting an apprentice, it takes engagement and effort to get right. When the experience is well-prepared, structured, and meaningful it is of huge benefit to both parties.

We have no doubt Raheim has a bright career in front of him. Everyone at Chroma is excited to see him excel.