An apprenticeship scheme on data protection and information governance has been in operation since March 2022 when The Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education approved a Level 4 Apprenticeship. It is provided by firms specialising in Tech & Digital Apprenticeships.

The value of an apprenticeship is that it allows students to put what they learn into practice in the workplace. This provides valuable experience and teaches them to not only learn the law, but to apply it in real life situations where everything isn’t always black and white.

When I was approached to be a part of the Data Protection and Information Governance Practitioner Apprentice scheme, set up through Specialist Hub and Bev McGowan, it was exactly what I’d been looking to deliver – but never thought to ask. Athough I have been a consultant and a trainer for 25 years in the wonderful world of information governance, and love passing on my passion for the topic to others, I find too often that my training relationships are too short-term for my liking. Though even a one-day or two-day course can make a massive difference in someone’s career, it certainly isn’t the same experience as the opportunity to mentor a person who is new into the field over a two-year period. Other trainers and coaches include individuals such as Barry Moult and Scott Salmons, both independent consultants, who were brought in to make sure the apprentices become fully rounded professionals, rather than only learn about data protection from the legal point of view, and its practical application.