A Cause for Celebration for FIG’s Studio Manager Callie

FIG’s Studio Manager, Callie Lonergan, has recently been awarded a distinction after completing the Level 5 Operations/Departmental Manager Apprenticeship through The Apprentice Academy.

This high-level managerial course helps people who are managing a team or projects, and responsible for achieving operational or departmental objectives. Callie began the programme over a year ago and attended knowledge and skills workshops in Manchester before the lockdown. Modules Callie has completed include:

• Operational planning
• Project management
• Mastering change
• Financial and resource management
• Leading and managing people
• Building relationships
• Communication
• Awareness and management of self
• Decision-making
• Professionalism

The programme was delivered as a mix of teaching methods including:

• Coaching, Training and Support via workplace visits and remote working
• Knowledge workshops
• Functional Skills
• Formative Assessments and Feedback

Since lockdown, Callie’s meetings with her trainer have continued online and her final assessment also had to be undertaken online. So it is testament to Callie’s hard work and organisational skills that she has managed to complete the programme with a Distinction as well as managing her team through the disruption of Covid-19.

Callie says; “It was great to have the opportunity to go on the Operational Management Course. The course has been a massive learning curve and it was a big change from designing to writing!

“It was great to meet new people at the workshops and my coach Deb was fantastic at motivating me and keeping me on track.

“I have learnt some great tools and techniques that I have already started to use and implement changes that will benefit the studio moving forward.”

FIG’s Managing Director, Helen Duncan says, “The management team here at FIG are always looking for ways to invest in the future of our staff and that includes our managers. Callie instinctively is a good manager but she has learnt so many tools and techniques to help her manage people, manage her workload and operations. We’ve seen a massive step-change in the way Callie manages the team, monitoring performance, mentoring and motivating and setting up systems to improve the way we work. The programme has also been great for Callie’s personal development and we have seen how she has grown in confidence having shared her own experiences and knowledge of managing a team with others in different businesses. We’re all very proud of Callie and her achievements. I know it’s been tough sometimes to fit in the course work alongside her day job and the fact Callie has achieved a Distinction is testament to the effort she has put in!”