National Apprenticeship Week 2026: Dave Hall

Starting his career as a Welder's Mate, Dave Hall worked his way up through various roles – including Crane Supervisor and Appointed Person – to Lifting Manager, with responsibility for people, strategic planning and budgets.

Dave Hall is an experienced lifting operations professional who has spent nearly six years with Sir Robert McAlpine, working across high-profile and complex projects including HS2, Agratas and, more recently, Sellafield.

With the support of his line manager and the talent development team at SRM, Dave recently completed the Level 5 Operations Manager Apprenticeship with the Institute for Leadership and Management.

Dave tells us about his apprenticeship journey, how it has helped him prepare for the next stage of his career and tips for those looking to follow a similar path.

Applying learning in the real world

I decided to take on the Level 5 Operations Manager apprenticeship because it aligned closely with my daily responsibilities. Being able to study remotely made a huge difference, as it made it workable alongside a demanding job.

One of the biggest benefits was realising how much of the course content was directly applicable to my role. The course helped me to step back and recognise the tools and management styles I was already using, while also introducing new techniques to further my learning.

Strategic planning, management and budgeting were all part of my day-to-day activities, but the apprenticeship gave me knowledge to expand and refine my way of working. It also introduced new techniques, particularly around personalising my management style, which I now apply daily.

I also met people from different industries who were at a similar stage in their careers, and the ability to exchange ideas and experiences across sectors was hugely valuable. I took note of how others around me worked and what I could learn from their approach.

By the end of the programme, everything I learned was directly transferable back into my role, which made the workload feel worthwhile rather than academic.

Support, balance and commitment

Support from SRM played a huge role in completing my apprenticeship successfully. My line managers fully encouraged me to take the protected time in my working week to focus on it - even when workloads increased on our busy project sites.

Balancing work, study and personal life takes a high level of commitment, but it’s worth it in the long run. As the end-point assessments neared, a few weekends were taken up by major projects and written submissions, but it helped me stay in control of my time and avoided rushing towards the deadlines.

Align your apprenticeship with your goals

My main advice is to choose the right apprenticeship - it needs to enhance what you do now and give you the right tools to progress beyond that. If the learning mirrors skills you need in your job, you’ll naturally use it every day and get far more out of it.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions (lots of them!) and speak up if you don’t understand anything. Likewise, don’t fret about not getting everything right every time – they’re stepping stones in your development, not setbacks.

I’d also say don’t underestimate the value of apprenticeships for career progression. Completing mine was a real achievement, and everything I learned still feeds into my work now. I’m already looking ahead to the Level 7 Senior Leader programme as my next step.

Most importantly, celebrate your milestones. Don’t underestimate what an achievement it is to complete your studies while balancing a full-time job and everything else outside of your vocation – it's important to give yourself due recognition.

If you’re willing to commit the time and have the right backing like I’ve had at SRM, I would absolutely recommend it.