With funding for the Senior Leader Level 7 Apprenticeship changing in January 2026, Linden celebrates a success story.
Leadership isn’t just about holding a title—it’s about growth, resilience, and the ability to inspire others.
The Level 7 Senior Leader Apprenticeship is designed to shape strategic thinkers and empower professionals to lead with confidence in today’s dynamic business landscape.
In this interview, we bring together two voices at the heart of this journey: a dedicated learner striving to elevate their leadership skills and the experienced trainer guiding them every step of the way.
Discover their insights, challenges, and triumphs as they share what it truly takes to become a senior leader.
Elevating Leadership Through the Level 7 Senior Leader Apprenticeship
The Level 7 Senior Leader Apprenticeship is designed for experienced professionals who want to refine their leadership skills and drive impactful change within their organisations.
We spoke with both Karen Martin from InPost who recently completed the Level 7 Senior Leadership programme and Also Leah Sharkey who is one of Linden's trainers, below are their throughts on the programme.
The Level 7 Senior Leader Apprenticeship is designed for experienced professionals who want to refine their leadership skills and drive impactful change within their organisations.
1. What were your main goals when starting the Level 7 apprenticeship?
"My main goal was simple: I wanted to learn. I wanted to ensure that everything I was doing in my role was to the best of my ability. I have never wanted to be the person who assumes they know it all. Instead, I wanted to challenge myself, continue to grow, and become better both personally and professionally. This apprenticeship provided the perfect opportunity to do exactly that."
Karen’s mindset highlights the importance of continuous learning—even for seasoned professionals. Her focus was on growth, not just maintaining the status quo.
2. How has completing the apprenticeship influenced your confidence or leadership abilities?
"Completing the apprenticeship has had a significant impact on both my confidence and my leadership abilities. I now feel far more self-assured in my decision-making and in my ability to reflect on my own performance. It has encouraged me to think differently, explore alternative solutions, and better understand what motivates people and helps them perform at their best. I have developed a much deeper appreciation for different leadership styles and for the importance of emotional intelligence in achieving positive outcomes through others."
Karen’s experience demonstrates how the programme goes beyond technical skills, fostering emotional intelligence and strategic thinking—key traits for senior leaders.
3. How do you feel the apprenticeship has prepared you for future career goals?
"Having been in my role for 27 years, I was not necessarily looking for a career change, but I wanted to be confident that I was giving my current position my very best. The apprenticeship has allowed me to combine newly developed leadership and management skills with the tacit knowledge I have built up over the years. This has greatly increased my confidence and reassured me that I am performing at the highest level I can. If I ever decide to take on a new role, I believe this qualification will set me apart by showing that I not only possess these skills, but that I am also committed to continually improving myself."
This response underscores the programme’s value for both career progression and personal assurance in existing roles.
4. Would you recommend this programme to others? If so, why?
"Yes, I would absolutely recommend this programme. It is inspiring and eye-opening. When you have been in a role for a long time, it can be easy to think you know everything and to become complacent without realising it. This apprenticeship reignited my motivation and reminded me how rewarding it is to keep learning. For me, personal growth and achievement are strong motivators, and this programme delivers both in abundance."
Karen’s enthusiasm reflects the programme’s ability to reignite passion and prevent professional stagnation.
5. What advice would you give to someone considering a Level 7 apprenticeship?
"My advice would be to do it. You will learn so much about yourself, about others, and about what it truly means to lead effectively. The programme challenges you, stretches you, and helps you to become the best version of yourself."
Key Takeaways
Continuous learning is essential for long-term success in leadership roles.
The Level 7 Senior Leader Apprenticeship builds confidence, emotional intelligence, and strategic thinking.
It benefits both those seeking career advancement and those wanting to excel in their current roles.
The programme is a catalyst for renewed motivation and personal growth.
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Leah Sharkey comments on delivery and benefits of the level 7 Apprentcieship, from a trainers perspective.
Teaching Style & Approach
How would you describe your teaching style when delivering the Level 7 apprenticeship?
I tried to be as interactive as possible using illustrations, such as a PowerPoint, as a visual, but without it being the focus. At a high level such as this, I think debate and open discussions are important, and the ability to talk about real-world situations also adds value. So, I like to talk and discuss as much as possible without relying too much on death by PowerPoint.
What methods do you use to engage learners and encourage critical thinking?
As mentioned before, discussion and debate are certainly important at this level to promote critical thinking and evaluative skills. Looking into their organisations and making comparisons works well, as well as referring to what is happening in the real world, especially when talking about economic and sustainability topics.
How do you tailor your delivery to suit different learning styles or professional backgrounds?
I think this goes back to not relying on reading from a PowerPoint screen. As well as using a variety of different sources and references. When it comes to the assignments, the awarding bodies’ approach is very flexible, around 60% of what is required is purely report writing, with the rest being combinations of discussions, presentations and work-based evidence, so there is a great variety of assignments, but also opportunities to develop skills that one may struggle with.
How do you ensure the content remains relevant to current industry standards and practices?
I personally enjoy listening to podcasts, watching news from both mainstream and independent sources, and from both sides of the political spectrum. This includes media and celebrity gossip that can quite often be brought in as key discussion points to encourage critical thinking. I also subscribe to the Bloomberg newsletter to stay up to date with business news and get involved in basic levels of investing, allowing me to track the economic market and its fluctuations. I encourage the learners to participate in this as well, especially when dealing with topics surrounding continuous and continual improvement processes.
Learner Support & Development
How do you support learners throughout the programme, especially during challenging periods?
I believe that learner support is 1 of my and Lindon's key strengths as the training provider, and there are lots of opportunities to provide support. It could be as simple as increasing or decreasing visit durations and frequencies, a short learning break or attending meetings in person and conducting a hybrid approach as opposed to a pure remote approach in certain circumstances.
What kind of feedback or mentoring do you provide to help learners grow professionally?
I like to try and keep in touch with previous learners to see how they're getting on, and also like to refer current learners to older learners so that they can gain insight as to how they found the course when they were on it.
How do you help learners connect their academic learning with their workplace responsibilities?
This goes back to the review process, which we have every three months. I like to refer to the standard of the apprenticeship and the criteria contained within, as well as liaising with the manager to ascertain how this all fits into the delivery. I can't be an expert for every single organisation, but what I can do is try and work with employers and their learners to gain a better insight as to their ways of working to tailor my approach as much as possible.
Benefits of Linden Management’s Approach
What makes Linden Management’s delivery of the Level 7 apprenticeship unique or particularly effective?
Certainly, the bespoke approach that is tailored to the needs of the employer provides the level of support, including knowledge and experience from the wider team. It isn't just about me, one trainer, I have several contacts both internally and externally to Lindon that I can liaise with and gain additional insight into things that maybe I am unfamiliar with or haven't heard of before.
Programme Delivery & Content
What are the key themes or modules in the Level 7 programme that learners find most transformative?
There are a variety of different themes, but researching other organisations’ core values and strategic objectives quite often proved to be very beneficial as it opens the floor to additional learning, growth and development.
Can you share an example of a project or activity that helps learners apply their knowledge in real-world settings?
Part of the end-point assessment is to complete a strategic business proposal, so I ensure that this is conducted in the same format on the programme and aim to liaise as much as possible with managers to ensure that this is real and beneficial to the organisation, so that it can be developmental for the learner as well.
Outcomes & Achievements
What kind of progress or transformation do you typically see in learners by the end of the programme?
Lots of learners in the past have completed this apprenticeship because they wanted to broaden their minds and horizons to different ways of working, as they may have been working at their organisation for several years. Some have gained additional working responsibilities, promotions and even brand-new roles outside of their organisation.
Can you share a success story or standout achievement from a recent learner?
There have been several success stories as a result of the completion of this apprenticeship from high level promotions to increase levels of responsibility as well as job security but one such learner after recently completing her level 7, as well as securing a higher paying promotion within her organisation, has moved on to further study and is now more confident and able to broaden her horizons into different elements of her industry and management as a whole, Is now moving into the coaching and mentoring spectrum with hopes of moving into management training in the near future.
How do you measure the impact of the programme on learners’ career development or leadership capabilities?
The in-depth review process we undertake is certainly one way to measure impact. I always try to invite the manager, wherever possible, to attend these meetings so that we are both on the same page. This also ensures that any changes or adjustments can be made efficiently and appropriately.
How does the organisation support you as a tutor in delivering high-quality learning experiences?
Similarly to the above, we have a team of various degrees of knowledge and specialisms across different industries, of which I can draw upon if necessary. Linden is also very flexible and fair, I never feel as if I am struggling or need anything that I could not go and ask for help, I know if they could not help me for whatever reason they would support me to find that elsewhere, I have the time to apply what is needed to deliver the course to a good standard and I am free and able to do my own research and CPD as necessary.
Why do you think learners choose Linden Management for their apprenticeship journey?
For the level of support, flexibility and bespoke course planning to suit the needs of both the learner and the employer.
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