SS&L Apprentice of the Month – March 2026

“One of the biggest changes for me is how confidently I now handle difficult conversations.”

Today we’re celebrating Alisha, Level 3 Team Leader apprentice at Somerset Larder for winning Apprentice of the Month for March 2026!

Thanks to her positivity, progress, and development, Alisha has been nominated by tutor Denise. The quality of her work despite working in a very demanding job has impressed everyone!

Becoming a leader

When Alisha signed up for the Team Leader apprenticeship, she had one simple reason:

“Because I wanted more!”

She was ready to progress into a supervisor role at Somerset Larder and believed the apprenticeship would help her build the leadership skills to get there.

“I felt very excited to challenge myself with something new,” she says. “But I was nervous too – I hadn’t engaged with this type of learning since graduating in 2021! However, Denise and the SS&L team made the transition back into learning much more manageable.”

“I have loved being able to do this apprenticeship alongside my Somerset Larder colleagues as it has made us stronger as a team.”

Balancing work and learning

With encouragement from her tutor, Alisha has also learned to advocate for herself at work.

“Working in a busy environment meant it was tough to find time for my studies. Denise has been great though, encouraging us to have conversations with management to make sure we got the time we needed.”

“This past month I’ve felt able to express my feelings to my manager. As a result, I have been given the time to get my work done, which has made a significant difference!”

Starting an apprenticeship not only supports your career goals but is also great for personal development and learning about yourself.

“One of the biggest changes for me is how confidently I now handle difficult conversations at work. I still feel like I’m in control.”

Personal Growth and Development

Thanks to her apprenticeship, Alisha is now looking forward to the future and considering her future options.

“Right now, I am happy working at a supervisor level. But, if the opportunity came along, I would love to work my way up to management at Somerset Larder!”

“Now that I’m confident learning again, I would also consider going back to university to complete a Masters Degree in Forensic Psychology!”

“I’m really grateful to SS&L and Somerset Larder for giving me this opportunity and all the support I’ve been given.”

Tutor Denise says that Alisha is very deserving of the Apprentice of the Month award. “She has brought positivity and enthusiasm to the classroom and is so supportive of her colleagues!” she says. “I’m sure she is going to be very successful, and I’m very happy to have helped her along the way.”

If you’d like to find out how an apprenticeship can support your growth and development, give our friendly team a call on 0330 332 7997 for a chat.