Getting Started with your Systems Thinking Practitioner Apprenticeship

Welcome to your Systems Thinking Practitioner Apprenticeship with The JGA Group. This page will help you get started with your apprenticeship.

On this page:

Apprenticeship Overview

The System Thinking Practitioner apprenticeship programme is an 22-month programme and the course is made up of 9 core modules and a period of work based project implementation. Seminars are held remotely via Teams or Zoom, supplemented with online learning tools and self-study materials. Progress is recorded via an online tool (OneFile).

Resources to help you complete the course are often available within OneFile. Other resources may be available from your tutor/coach. Learners from the health and care professions have access to academic journals via Open Athens. Please check with your own employer to see whether you too can already access subscription publications. The programme has core text books which you or your employer are expected to purchase. These can be shared, bought second hand or may be accessible from Amazon’s Kindle library and similar online/download services. The full list of core texts appears in the Welcome Guide which you will find within OneFile.

It is a requirement of the government that over the course of the apprenticeship you spend around 20% of your time completing activities which are not part of your day-to-day job role. This is called off-the-job training. If you do not have GCSE/O Level grades A-C/4-9 in English and maths, JGA will provide you with teaching to achieve an equivalent Functional Skills qualification.

Module Summary

  • Introduction to Systems Thinking

  • The Tools of Systems Thinking

  • Sense Making of Complex, Messy Problems

  • Working with Self and Others

  • Systems Approaches – Critical Systems Heuristics, Soft Systems Methodology, Viable Systems Model, System Dynamics, Multimethodology

  • Interventions

  • Portfolio Evidence Building

  • Organisational Learning

  • You as a Practitioner

  • Preparing for Gateway

Your Induction

Carolina Cullington, Systems Thinking Practioner Tutor, covers what you and your line manager can expect from the apprenticeship.

Find out more about how the apprenticeship works with dedicated content for line managers and learners.

We have also made a document that covers the content from the video, to act as a reference.

Your Tutors & Coaches

Carolina Cullington

Carolina Cullington
Tutor

Email
Julian Starkey

Julian Starkey
Skills Coach

Email
Sidra Chaudhry

Sidra Chaudhry
Skills Coach

Email
Bee Dalrymple

Bee Dalrymple
Skills Coach & Progress Adviser

Email
Angela Denise

Angela Denise
Skills Coach & Progress Adviser

Email

Explaining the Roles

There are three key roles in the team which will support your apprenticeship. Some members of staff cover more than one of these.

Your tutor will lead you through your workshops or seminars and deliver a large proportion of the knowledge elements of your apprenticeship with you.

Your coach will meet with you each month to help develop and evidence your skills and behaviours within the workplace. Your line manager will attend part of this session. They will help you gather evidence to demonstrate your overall competency.

Your learner progress adviser will help provide additional support where needed and monitor your progress. You will meet with them, and your line manager, every three months.

We use OneFile as our e-portfolio system. This is where your assignments will be set, you will submit your work and you will log your off-the-job training.

Your regular reviews will be stored on here as will some resources for your course. You will complete a learning journal, be able to monitor your progress towards your Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours and refer to your workplace training plan.

Our training video covers all the key features of OneFile you need to know. Visit the Support and FAQs page if you have questions or issues.

Mandatory Units

The JGA Group is strongly committed to practices that protect children, young people and adults from the risk of abuse, neglect or significant harm. Staff recognise and accept their responsibility to develop an awareness of the risks and issues involved with Safeguarding.

Therefore, as part of your enrolment process for your apprenticeship, we require you to complete the JGA Safeguarding – ETF Learners Side-by-Side Courses. Which will introduce you to key topics within Safeguarding.

Side-by-Side is a Prevent resource for learners from the Education and Training Foundation.

The modules will cover:

  • Radicalisation and Extremism
  • Staying Safe Online
  • What can you trust?
  • British Values

Please create a login and complete the Side-by-Side training.

For ETF account support please email ETF support directly.

Workplace Development Plan

A Workplace Development Plan will be developed with you, your Line Manager and your JGA skills coach.

This will include specific role related learning or activities to help you achieve the Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours (KSBs) required by the apprenticeship standard.

It will help you to evidence your progress and meet the off the job training requirement.

It is a key tool to individualise the apprenticeship to your needs and that of the business.

Programmed Activities

Seminars

Regular small group tutor-led seminars, full day or two half days per module

Coaching

Regular coaching sessions with a sector expert; your work mentor/line manager will be invited to the first part

Reviews

Quarterly formal progress reviews in collaboration with your line manager and Learner Progress Adviser

Self-study

Pre and post seminar activities, self-directed learning and learning opportunities within your workplace

Assessment

End Point Assessment (EPA) is the process at the end of your programme for you to demonstrate to a third-party assessor that you have acquired the knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) set out in the Apprenticeship standard.

Learner Handbook

Alongside this learner zone, the handbook will help you understand the general expectations of how each party to the apprenticeship should behave (you, your employer and us). It outlines the academic code, how to write assignments and what is unacceptable practice.

Safeguarding, Prevent, Welfare & British Values

Paula Wakelin
Paula WakelinSafeguarding & Prevent Officer
There is nothing more important than keeping you safe. If you or someone you know is at risk, click on the button to raise your concerns.

We are strongly committed to practices that protect you from the risk of abuse, neglect or significant harm. Our staff recognise and accept their responsibility to develop an awareness of the risks and issues involved in safeguarding. All staff and learners should have zero tolerance for abuse, bullying, neglect and violence.

Prevent is about safeguarding people and communities from the threat of terrorism. At the heart of Prevent is safeguarding children and adults and providing early intervention to protect and divert people away from being drawn into terrorist activity.

We provide expert support to help you on your apprenticeship journey. This includes mental health and neurodiversity, careers guidance and academic and financial challenges.

We want to help you achieve your full potential. We offer careers consultancy to ensure you have impartial and constructive information and guidance to help you decide and then to action your career decisions.

We aim to create an equal, diverse, inclusive and respectful culture. All of us contribute towards this culture through our actions and words. JGA aims to address any barriers to equality in our systems, policies and decision making as well as in our behaviour and ways of working.

The Fundamental British Values underpin what it is to be a citizen in a modern and diverse United Kingdom, valuing our community and celebrating diversity.

There is a code of conduct which applies to you and all learners on our programmes. This lays out the expectations for your behaviour whilst on the apprenticeship.