Breaking Barriers: Charlotte's Journey To Degree Through Dandara's Apprenticeship Scheme

When we hear the word ‘apprentice’ you might think of a young 18-year-old straight from school looking to kickstart their career in trades such as construction, engineering and plumbing. Challenging this conventional view, during National Apprenticeship Week 2025, we are highlighting Charlotte Matthews, who works as a COINS Project Specialist working as part of Dandara’s IT and Systems team.

Charlotte, who is based in Hull, joined Dandara in 2021 and started her Level 6 Project Management Degree last April. Charlotte is responsible for developing new ways to use IT software, work on new projects and assist internal commercial and sales teams. 
Charlotte comments: “I have extensive experience in the IT industry, having left school and entered the world of work straight away. Some may question why, after a large portion of my career has passed, I am now completing a degree, but I firmly believe that you can never stop learning and investing in yourself.”

“I hope I can showcase to people that apprenticeships are not a ‘one size fits all’ policy. If anyone is thinking about whether to do an apprenticeship, my advice is to go for it – no matter how old you are or how far into your career you are, there is always time. It is hard work, but the reward far outweighs the cost!”

Dandara recognise that for most people, careers change direction and often people find stability later in life, by which time they have responsibilities which impact both time and finances. Committing to invest in apprenticeships enables Dandara’s employees to continue to learn new skills and gain qualifications resulting in joint success.

Seeking a formal qualification to consolidate her extensive experience, Charlotte is pursuing a Level 6 Project Management Degree with QA Limited, a four-year course designed to enhance her skills and expertise.

Charlotte adds: “I have a well-structured work schedule with both the support of Dandara and QA Limited. A large portion of my team is also completing extra qualifications with Dandara from diplomas through to degrees, so there is an excellent culture of everyone motivating each other to achieve and strive for excellence. I think it is incredibly important to invest in yourself outside of your day job, and Dandara has provided quality support to make this possible.”

Looking to the future, Charlotte concludes: “Despite working in IT for the last 14 years, I haven’t had the opportunity to complete a degree, so my main ethos behind completing an apprenticeship was for this reason. I’m eager to complete my degree over the next four years with Dandara and to be able to say, ‘I did it!’, for me, the degree is mainly for my self-improvement.”