As the only Chartered body dedicated to creating better led and managed organisations, CMI is the ideal partner to support employers, apprentices and learning providers in the delivery of leadership and management apprenticeships.
Christopher’s journey
Christopher Achiampong was on a formal apprenticeship pathway with IBM when he became aware of the Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship. The opportunity to gain paid experience with three different companies over three years, as well as get a university degree from Pearson College London and Chartered Manager status, really appealed to him.
Christopher now works in the sales system team at IBM, and has secured placements at Unilever and Tesco. He has a busy schedule of presentations, meetings and networking, but loves that every day is different. Above all, the course has given him opportunities and access to a world he didn’t really know existed.
Growing up in a single-parent family in Newham, an area with high poverty levels and deprivation, Christopher understands the importance of social mobility. He campaigns for social mobility and diversity in the workplace, and is part of IBM’s Multicultural Network, sharing his apprenticeship experiences at events. He’s also keen to raise awareness of apprenticeships among teenagers, going into schools to do so. He sits on the board of trustees and is chair of the EY Foundation Youth Panel, a charity that supports disadvantaged young people into work. He’s also a governor at his former primary school.
What next? Christopher is excited about his next placement at Unilever and, after completing his apprenticeship, wants to explore a career in sales and complete a master’s degree apprenticeship. Success seems highly likely.
“The degree apprenticeship has given me the confidence and analytical thinking I need to succeed in the world of business.”
