At SCO, we’re always looking for ways to help our people learn, develop and build their careers. To reflect this, this week’s Spotlight is on our HR Apprentice, Olivia. Olivia joined SCO in August 2025, initially spending time learning the role and getting to know the business. She officially started her apprenticeship a few months later in November, combining hands-on experience as an HR Administrator with a Level 3 HR Support apprenticeship and CIPD Level 3 Certificate in People Practice. We caught up with Olivia to find out more about her experience so far, what she’s been learning and how she’s putting that knowledge into practice.

The apprenticeship has given Olivia the opportunity to look beyond the day-to-day responsibilities of her role and develop a wider understanding of HR, including areas such as business culture and change, stakeholder relationships and employment law. She’s been able to see how this learning connects to her role in practice, whether that’s supporting colleagues and managers, working with HR processes and systems, or understanding the policies and legislation behind different areas of HR.

“It’s been really good to be able to learn the role at SCO while also having the apprenticeship alongside it. I started getting stuck into the practical side of the role and learning about the business itself at first, and then the apprenticeship has helped give me the foundational knowledge behind what I’m doing. A lot of the things I’m learning are relevant to my role, so I can take that knowledge and apply it to what I’m doing. It’s helped me understand more about why things are done in certain ways, rather than just learning how to do something. A key part of my role involves working with managers and employees across the business. Through the apprenticeship, I’ve learned more about stakeholder management and communication, which has helped me build confidence when supporting colleagues and responding to queries. I’m really excited to finish the apprenticeship and continue applying what I’ve learned to my day-to-day role. There’s still lots I want to learn and develop, but it’s been a really positive experience so far.”

For Olivia, being able to combine her studies with her role means she can continue developing her knowledge while gaining experience in a real working environment.

At SCO, we want development to be something our people can experience throughout their careers. Apprenticeships are one of the ways we can support that, giving people the chance to gain recognised qualifications, build practical experience and develop their confidence at the same time.