St Hugh’s College, University of Oxford

Olivia Cross, Governance Officer Level 4, 10/11/2025

The skills learned during the apprenticeship have been completely transferable to the workplace. My manager has commented on my increased confidence and ability to scrutinise and question our current ways of working. The support provided by my Tutor, Zoe, has been unfailingly brilliant. Zoe always makes time for her learners regardless of how busy she is. Zoe has even arranged to give me further training in compliance to support me in my new DPO role.

From the modules covered during the apprenticeship I have gained a broad knowledge of all things governance from the recruitment and induction of board members, the impact of regulatory and legislative requirements, the role of the Company Secretary, and how to carry out an internal audit. In terms of skills, I now have the confidence and the expertise to take on more senior tasks in my organisation such as revamping the induction process for our board members. 

My highlights include meeting some great people in my cohort and being given a promotion at work to Senior Governance Officer and College DPO - a promotion that is undoubtedly thanks to the governance apprenticeship delivered by Clear Quality!