{"id":2779,"date":"2023-11-01T15:48:55","date_gmt":"2023-11-01T15:48:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocs.com\/sg\/?p=2779"},"modified":"2024-01-06T10:22:12","modified_gmt":"2024-01-06T10:22:12","slug":"graduating-in-ocs-style","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocs.com\/sg\/news\/graduating-in-ocs-style\/","title":{"rendered":"Graduating in OCS style."},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Our mission at OCS is to help people and places to \u2018be your best\u2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And, while we usually talk about that in the context of our customers\u2019 businesses, people and places, the notion equally applies to our own people and places, too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s important as a business for us to support people to develop their careers, achieve more and perform even better, and we constantly strive to offer training and development opportunities to those who want to seize them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Recently, two members of OCS \u2013 Marketing Business Partner Kirstie Stevens and Operations Manager Sharon Roper \u2013 graduated from University Centre Quayside (UCQ) with a BA (Hons) in Professional Management, via the OCS Apprenticeship Scheme.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to the opportunity to take part in the three-year course, Kirstie and Sharon were given a day\u2019s study leave each week\u00a0\u2013 although the amount of work the course demanded meant it was a rewarding yet all-consuming experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was new to degrees, although I have taken part in education through work before, and I don\u2019t think I fully realised just how much time I\u2019d have to put into it,\u201d laughs Sharon, who works in OCS\u2019s Healthcare and Education sector. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

\n \n \n \n <\/g>\n <\/svg>\n
\n

\n There was plenty of evening and weekend work, and for three years it was continuous, so we had little opportunity to rest \u2013 however, it was brilliant; very rewarding, and now it\u2019s over, I do miss it! <\/p>\n

\n
\n

\n Sharon <\/p>\n

\n OCS\u2019s Healthcare and Education sector <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

\n

Balancing the day-to-day<\/h3>\n

The Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship was based on a series of academic assignments, self-reflection, peer and line manager reviews, assessor observations and an end-point assessment, with modules including project management, business finance, sales and marketing, digital business, communication, developing collaborative relationships, decision-making and management \u2013\u00a0all of which are directly applicable to the day-to-day roles Kirstie and Sharon both undertake.<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the course of the three years, the pair received the support of their colleagues and teams, which was a crucial component of completing the degree successfully.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone was very supportive,\u201d says Kirstie. \u201cI blocked out study time in my diary, and the team was very respectful of that. My colleagues were always on hand if I needed any advice or guidance, and they were really encouraging, making it easier to keep going.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

\n

Putting learnings into action<\/h3>\n

Through the degree course, Kirstie and Sharon have picked up and developed a wide range of new skills that they\u2019ve been able to quickly put into practice. Some of those learnings have been directly related to the subject matter \u2013 others have come from the process of undertaking the degree itself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLike Sharon, this was my first degree, and the project management module was particularly important for me, in terms of developing those skills, while time management and organisation were also valuable because of balancing the demands of work and the course,\u201d says Kirstie.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sharon agrees, and found the level of research required to put together regular assignments, and the final, 8000-word dissertation also proved hugely beneficial.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve noticed that I automatically research a lot more now,\u201d she says. \u201cI find myself really digging deep into finding out information on how to resolve this problem to then construct a full report for the customer. I don’t know whether I would have investigated something so thoroughly if I hadn’t studied the degree.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

\n

The lasting benefits of higher education<\/b><\/h3>\n

And the benefits of undertaking the degree will continue to be enjoyed by Kirstie, Sharon and OCS over the months and years to come, as the process has left a lasting impact on the pair.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

\n \n \n \n <\/g>\n <\/svg>\n
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\n My confidence overall has improved in various aspects such as communication, decision-making and stakeholder relationship development, which I think really helps with my role here at OCS. <\/p>\n

\n
\n

\n Kirstie <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

\n

The pair will be awarded their degrees in a graduation ceremony on 1 December, which will officially mark a fantastic achievement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just super proud of us,\u201d says Kirstie. \u201cI’m really grateful for the opportunity to have been able to do this, especially with the study time as well.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sharon echoes those sentiments. \u201cI\u2019m very grateful for the opportunity we\u2019ve had, and as much as it has been blood, sweat and tears, I\u2019ve loved every minute of it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUCQ have been great as well \u2013\u00a0they\u2019ve been very supportive and are always there when you need them, and the course content really fits in with the work we do here.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Recently, two members of our OCS family \u2013\u00a0Marketing Business Partner Kirstie Stevens and Operations Manager Sharon Roper \u2013\u00a0graduated from University Centre Quayside (UCQ) with a BA (Hons) in Professional Management, via the OCS Apprenticeship Scheme.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5151,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[204],"country":[],"class_list":["post-2779","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-type","tag-academy"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nGraduating in OCS style!<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Two members of our OCS family \u2013 Kirstie Stevens and Sharon Roper \u2013 graduated from University Centre Quayside. 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