Celebrating Success: Apprentice Highly Commended at National Finance Awards

East Sussex College apprentice Joanne Reeve, who works for the Pension Protection Fund, has been recognised nationally after being awarded Highly Commended in the Administrator of the Year category at the Women in Pensions Awards 2025.

Joanne is completing her Level 3 Team Leader apprenticeship with East Sussex College while continuing her growing career at the Pension Protection Fund.

Her award highlights her hard work and dedication, while shining a light on the valuable role apprenticeships play in building real skills, leadership ability, and confidence in the workplace.

Joanne saw an apprenticeship as the next step in her continued professional development. She said, "I am currently a senior administrator so becoming a team leader would follow on as a natural progression for me. When the opportunity arose, I decided I wanted a new challenge, and this was a great way to progress my career.

“It is supported in the pensions industry as the course is giving me practical tools in things like people management, project management, decision making and problem solving which I am applying while working alongside my assigned apprentice."

Receiving the Highly Commended award was a milestone moment for Joanne, both personally and professionally.

"It was an honour to be shortlisted, and I was over the moon when I received the Highly Commended award,” Joanne told the College. “When I heard my name called, I couldn’t stop smiling. It was lovely to be recognised for all the hard work and dedication that I have put into everything, and I feel proud of myself. Professionally it highlights my contribution within pensions and motivations me to keep wanting to develop myself and my skills. I hope it highlights a positive message of what you can achieve."

Throughout her apprenticeship, Joanne has taken on new responsibilities while balancing a demanding workload at the Pension Protection Fund - a challenge that has shaped her leadership skills and contributed to her recognition at the awards.

She explained, "I think the key moment for me was at the beginning of the course when you realise that you must be on the ball and organised all the time. You’re constantly balancing multiple responsibilities, from completing apprenticeship assignments to attending tutor meetings.

“You still have your day job to do and, in addition, I also run a mental health and wellbeing group. On top of that, I’m involved in our organisation’s DEI group and other smaller projects. Successfully managing all these responsibilities played a key role in helping me earn the Highly Commended award."

A crucial part of Joanne’s progress has been the structure and support provided by East Sussex College and her tutor.

"The training and support from East Sussex College have been great and well structured,” said Joanne. “I would like to say my tutor Lee Horsley has been amazing, I cannot praise Lee enough for his help, encouragement, guidance and support throughout the course. My confidence has improved since starting the course. Getting constructive feedback and praise on the work/assignments really helps. Learning new skills on the course to help me gain an understanding of the Team Leader role and what is expected of me.

“There are areas that I would not have thought about that we are learning about which are all helping me progress. Also, it’s interesting to look at the bigger picture. For example, thinking about budgets, our latest project is helping me to understand things that managers look at and what goes into them, and what affects them which I hadn’t even thought about."

Joanne hopes her success will inspire others who are considering an apprenticeship in finance, pensions, or leadership.

"I would say grab any or every opportunity that comes your way to progress. I have had so many things happen in my life which held me back because it was never the right time. But what I realised is there never will be a right time. Something will always be going on in our lives and unfortunately some people have harder times than others but try to put yourself first. I have and I don’t regret it."

Reflecting on her wider apprenticeship journey, Joanne added, "Anything that puts you out of your comfort zone and helps you develop yourself is a benefit. I feel lucky that my organisation has given me this opportunity to do this. The apprenticeship is a great opportunity to help you develop and learn. It gives you hands-on experience while gaining a professional qualification.”

She added, “You get to network, develop your confidence and other skills. Also having a tutor who really supports me has been invaluable to my apprenticeship journey. I am really pleased that I took that step and I encourage others to do the same."

East Sussex College is proud to celebrate Joanne’s success - and if you’re inspired to build your leadership skills, grow your confidence, and take the next step in your business career, our apprenticeship pathways can help you get there.

Business and management apprenticeships can start at any time, and employers can use them to develop new talent or upskill existing staff. Investing in professional development leads to stronger teams, improved productivity, and better staff retention - helping businesses thrive while people progress in their careers.