Anyone still questioning the impact apprenticeships can have may have found their answer this week at Leicester’s Curve Theatre.
Learners from De Montfort University Leicester (DMU)’s apprenticeship programmes were among those crossing the stage to collect their degrees, having balanced full-time work alongside study.
Proud employers and learners say the courses have helped them gain confidence and lead change across their organisations in a variety of roles and sectors.
Among those graduating were learners from the Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship (CMDA), which supports people already in work to develop leadership and management skills.
Restaurant manager Carl Bibbey, who leads a team of 40 people in Tamworth, said the programme had helped him better understand the behaviours and culture required to lead effectively. He has since progressed onto the Senior Leader Apprenticeship. “Leading a team is about culture and behaviours,” he said. “The CMDA really helped with that, and the senior leader programme has taken it further, with more theory and depth that I can apply directly in my role.”
Victoria Snow, a senior clinical audit facilitator at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, described the programme as highly transferable. “My role is very broad, I manage projects and work across different areas and the modules applied across the board,” she said. “You can use what you learn straight away. I’d recommend it to anyone who line manages people.”
Dan Sage, a plant manager at Biffa responsible for a team of around 50 people, enrolled on the course after seeing its impact on a member of his staff. Having worked at the company for more than two decades, he said the programme challenged his assumptions. “I realised how much there still was to learn,” he said. “The tools and frameworks actually work when you use them in the real world, and I went into the course with an open mind.”
Ben West, a general manager at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, said the breadth of the CMDA had helped him grasp complex issues more quickly. “It covers leadership, finance and the wider business context, which has elevated my work,” he said.
Hannah Lloyd-Calum, Organisational Capability Partner at KFC, was there to see Ben and another KFC colleague Ryan Lock graduate. “We really recommend the DMU course,” she said. “We have two graduates today and both are brilliant! They've thoroughly enjoyed their learning, are real role models for the restaurant and are so excited to be graduating today. We're looking for leaders who want to learn and grow, and who want to stay with KFC for a long time, and they both embody that.”
Ed Thompson, Associate Professor in Business and Management, said: “They were a great cohort. It’s always a pleasure to teach on our apprenticeship programmes because they have so much experience and we do so much learning together.
“On this cohort, some of the group were able to go onto a DMU global trip to the Philippines, looking at international trade and global mobility, looking at the health, hospitality and tourism industries. Five of these graduates have now gone on to study the Senior Leadership Apprenticeship.”
Posted on Friday 23 January 2026