To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week 2026 we’re highlighting Raise the Bar Apprentices and their experiences of management programmes, from starting out right through to graduation.
We sat down with Hannah Wallace, Senior Manager at Natural England, Breckland, West Norfolk & North Norfolk Coast to find out how she’s approaching her Women in Leadership Apprenticeship study and what she’s learned so far.
Tell us about your career so far
I joined Natural England in February 2010, and over the past 16 years I’ve had the privilege of working in a variety of roles. I started as an Adviser in Sustainable Development then moved into a Lead Adviser role focusing on protected sites and agri-environment schemes. For the last eight years, I’ve been a Team Leader/Senior Manager for Breckland, West Norfolk and the North Norfolk Coast within the Norfolk and Suffolk Area Team.
What motivated you to begin this apprenticeship?
I’d been thinking for a while that I wanted to study again, but with a busy work and home life, I couldn’t see how to make it happen. When the opportunity for this apprenticeship came up, it felt like the perfect chance to re-engage my brain and learn in a way that supports my current Senior Manager role.
Why this apprenticeship?
The program I chose is Women in Leadership – Level 3 Leadership, delivered by Raise the Bar. It’s specifically designed to empower and advance female leaders in the workplace, with a strong focus on inclusive leadership. The course consists of three distinctive goals covering key elements:
• Self-Insight
• Team Evolution
• Transformative Leadership
The course is delivered through a combination of workshops, one-to-one coaching, assignments, and assessments, offering a variety of ways to learn and flexibility to focus on areas that fit my development plan. Coming from an ecological background rather than management, I felt this was a great opportunity to strengthen my leadership skills and gain a formal qualification.
How it’s going so far?
It’s early days. I started in mid-October, and so far, so good! I’m enjoying the course content, though I do need to be disciplined about planning my time to fit in apprenticeship work. One of the highlights has been meeting others on the course from a variety of industries and backgrounds, which brings fresh perspectives and ideas. I’m looking forward to continuing this journey and applying what I learn to support my team.
Follow in Hannah’s footsteps and find out more about our Women in Leadership L3 and L5 apprenticeship programmes, here.