We’re delighted to share the outstanding success of our third annual Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship (CMDA) Learning Fair, held on Wednesday 2nd April 2025 at the Hilton Hotel in Leeds. Following the tremendous success of our previous events, this year’s fair continued to exceed expectations with outstanding student satisfaction scores.
This year’s programme focused on leadership excellence and personal development, bringing together students from all year groups for a day of collaboration, learning, and professional growth. The carefully curated agenda featured inspiring keynote speakers, interactive workshops, and valuable networking opportunities designed to enhance our apprentices’ leadership capabilities.
Distinguished Guest Speakers
The day began with dynamic presentations from two exceptional speakers who set the tone for a day of learning:
Dom Weldon from Albany Peak delivered an engaging session on “Leadership and Team Behaviours: Fostering Exceptional Performance,” exploring how leadership extends beyond traditional top-down direction to encompass leadership at all levels within organisations.
Professor Andrew Reeves presented “Being Your Own Coach: Working Effectively for Yourself Within Teams and as a Leader,” introducing powerful coaching frameworks that participants could apply to develop their own strategic thinking and self-reflection skills.
Year Group Workshops
One of the highlights of the day was our tailored year group workshops, designed to meet students at their specific stage of learning:
- Year 1 students explored “The Importance of Networking,” gaining essential skills for building professional relationships.
- Year 2 students and L7 apprentices delved into “Getting the Most from Your Literature Reviews,” enhancing their research and analytical capabilities.
- Year 3 students and L7 apprentices focused on “How to Ace Your EPA,” preparing for their crucial End Point Assessment.
Diverse Seminar Programme
The afternoon featured four compelling seminars, allowing students to choose topics that resonated with their professional interests and development goals:
- Foster Exceptional Performance in Your Own Team – Building on the morning’s leadership themes with practical application strategies.
- Being Your Own Coach: Techniques for Developing Strategic Focus – Advanced coaching techniques for personal and professional development.
- Digital Leadership and the AI Revolution – Exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping workplace dynamics and leadership requirements.
- Management and Machiavelli – Examining timeless leadership insights from Renaissance strategy applied to modern management challenges.
Outstanding Feedback
The student satisfaction scores for this year’s event were outstanding, with participants particularly praising the relevance of the content to their current roles and future aspirations. The combination of theoretical frameworks and practical application resonated strongly with our apprentices, many of whom are already applying their learning in their workplace settings.
The networking opportunities throughout the day – from the morning refreshments to the dedicated networking session following the formal programme – provided invaluable chances for students to connect across year groups and share experiences from their diverse professional backgrounds.
Michelle Elliott, Vice Principal of UCQ, reflected on the day’s success: “It was absolutely wonderful seeing all our students, across all years, come together to collaborate, network and further develop their knowledge of leadership and management as part of their apprenticeship at UCQ. The energy and engagement throughout the day was truly inspiring, and it reinforces why events like these are so vital to our students’ development as future leaders.”
Looking Ahead
As we celebrate another successful Learning Fair, we’re already excited about continuing this tradition of excellence. The event demonstrates UCQ’s commitment to providing our apprentices with comprehensive support that extends far beyond traditional classroom learning, preparing them to be confident, capable leaders in an ever-evolving business landscape.
For further information on UCQ and degree apprenticeships, visit our page here or email Michelle directly at michelle.elliott@ucq.ac.uk.