Kirsty Elrick – GA BA (Hons) Business Management

Kirsty Elrick, from Aberdeen, had never been to university before she decided to commit to the four-year BA (Hons) Business Management Graduate Apprenticeship (GA) degree. Originally coming through Dyce Academy, the GA course allowed her to continue working at Sparrows where she migrated from a Logistics Team Leader to a new Operations Coordinator role in the engineering and operations team.

“I never managed to achieve the grades I needed when I left school to go to university, so when the opportunity arose to study again, after working for nearly ten-years in the oil and gas industry, it was a fantastic opportunity for me not to miss.

“The GA degree allowed me to continue working full-time, whilst still being able to study, applying the theoretical learnings to my role at Sparrows. I am continually looking for opportunities to enhance my personal and professional development, therefore, to gain a degree in this way was an ideal prospect for me.

“Business Management has always been an area that has interested me having originally studied it at school. This degree allowed me to learn about various areas of business and apply them in practice in my role, which only enhanced both my learning and my own ability at work.

“It’s also helped expose me to areas of Sparrows that I would never have previously had access to so I feel I’ve a much greater understanding of the business and how it operates.”

The 29-year-old’s multitasking didn’t end there as Kirsty also became a mother for the first time, giving birth this year to daughter Grace a few months prior to completing her degree.

“I’m proud of what I have achieved at RGU, managing to juggle full-time employment and studying when I wasn’t even sure if I’d even pass the first assignment. There has been a lot of ups and downs throughout - being heavily pregnant, trying to complete a dissertation and work full-time being one! But I’m glad I persevered through it.”

Graduate apprenticeship degrees are an innovative and relatively new course option at RGU. While work is still undertaken full-time at an employer, the blended-learning nature of the course means students also develop though RGU and the resources available to them both on campus and online.

“Attending the ‘on-campus’ days were excellent. It was a chance to meet my fellow cohort and lecturers during our studies and it was also nice to spend time in the university and use the facilities, like the library.

“Despite being a distance learner, I felt I was able to access the full range of facilities during my time at RGU. The course leaders were particularly encouraging during the degree, and not to mention my workplace mentor who was also extremely supportive throughout."

Having now successfully graduated, Kirsty’s looking forward to the future and continuing both her professional and personal development.

“I’m currently on maternity leave after having my daughter, Grace, so once I return to work in the New Year I really look forward to applying more of what I have learnt at RGU to my role at Sparrows.

“I feel I am now a much more ‘rounded’ employee and hope to be able to continue applying my learnings to my role and lead a fulfilling career. My time at RGU has definitely been beneficial for my career progression prospects.”