Accelerating success through our new Apprenticeship Degree programme

At smart/tasking, we have taken great pride in building and executing our Accelerate Programme, a unique 24-week training initiative that was originally designed to empower ambitious young people and boost their careers in the world of business and sales.  

With apprenticeships on the rise, and our continual hunger to evolve, we’ve decided to elevate our programme by partnering with Henley Business School to offer our very first Degree Apprenticeship programme. Our new scheme will offer a fully funded BA (Hons) Degree in Business Management, or MSc in Management whilst also earning with smart/tasking! 

What we’ll be offering:  

Level 6 – BA (Hons) Management Practice – Recruitment
Level 7 – Future Senior Leaders MSc in Management Practice – Recruitment 

Level 6 – BA (Hons) Management Practice – Project Management
Level 7 – Future Senior Leaders MSc in Management Practice – Project Management 

Why do we think our programme stands out?  

Despite Accelerate evolving into the Degree Apprenticeship Programme, its foundation remains the same. But why do we stand out? We thought we’d ask the three people that joined our final Accelerate Programme, three people who continue to work for us today – Olly, Rio and Matt – how their experience has been. You can read their (unfiltered) answers below: 

What did you expect when you started with smart/tasking?  

Olly: What immediately surprised me was how welcoming and caring the environment was. I was treated the same by everyone from my immediate colleagues right up to our Founders. Everyone is working together towards a common goal, and everyone genuinely wants to see you succeed. That feels rare. 

What most interested you in the opportunity?

Rio: The promise of a fun friendly work environment with lots of learning and earning at the same time. And from now compared to the start I have indeed learnt heaps of knowledge which I put into place day to day. 

What was it actually like?  

Olly: I’ve had opportunities that I never would have been given in ‘big corporates’, and I’ve also progressed far further than I believe I ever could have too. The attitude here is that you can’t learn unless you’re given the opportunity. You’ve found a great networking event? Let’s book it. You want to try and crack into a new industry? What support do you need to make it happen? You feel like you’re ready to have a solo client meeting? Let’s make the introduction.

What have you worked on since you started?

Matt: I’ve worked on a range of challenging projects, developing solutions within tight time frames and receiving positive feedback on all candidates sourced. I also had the opportunity to present two presentations; one as a practice presentation in a role play of pitching smart/tasking to a client (which I received great guidance and then positive feedback on) and then the opportunity to present a roundup of H1 2023 and a look into H2 2023 to our Optimisers at the Eight Club with my colleague. It was a valuable experience and one I feel really proud about – the presentation was received with loads of positivity (and a lot of handshakes!) 

What are you most proud of?

Olly: Aside from passing my (6 month) probation in just three months, which meant so much to me, I’m most proud of a recent experience. I had a candidate in process for a role but the client decided to go with someone known to the business. This was unfortunate for many reasons, but I woke up the next day to see that the candidate had written a public post commending me on my handling of the process. We strive to give a personal and genuine service to candidates and clients, and having this confirmed was a major milestone. 

Rio: I am most proud of how much my confidence has grown since joining smart/tasking. Inside and outside of work I have gained much more belief in myself which makes me very much enjoy the work that I do. 

Matt: I am most proud of the way I have collaborated with clients, facilitating key deployments and offering solutions to address some complex resourcing challenges.  

smart/tasking is committed to supporting young talent and providing them with the tools they need to excel. David Jenkins, our Associate Director, began his career in recruitment at the age of 15, and he understands first-hand the potential that lies within motivated individuals. This passion served as the original programme’s foundation, and will continue to drive the Degree Apprenticeship programme’s success going forward. 

The 2023/24 cohort has just begun their Degree Apprenticeship, and we’re excited to have four brilliant women join us. You can follow them on their journey here – we’ll be providing updates and pictures as we go.