Introducing our Paragon Skills Ambassadors – Lauren Mayhew
Paragon Skills has just launched our Apprenticeship Ambassador programme! We have 9 great ambassadors who are currently completing an Apprenticeship with us. This is across a range of sectors and apprenticeship levels and they will be helping to provide us with live case studies and material for us to share across the website and social media channels so make sure you’re following them to keep up to date on what they are up to! Come back next Friday to meet our next ambassador.
Below is our first guest blog an introduction to Lauren Mayhew!
Hi! I am Lauren Mayhew (CII MP), and I am a Contact Centre and Admin manager for Copart UK. I am responsible for the Member Services Contact department where I lead my teams to success in Customer Service, operations, process improvement and project management. I have been with Copart for just over 2 years, and my entire working life I have been involved in roles that are centred around Customer Service and operations.
I am passionate about people; supporting my team to success and leading by example is my key focus, while continuing to develop a strong department in all areas of my remit; the happier and more settled your team are, the better the results for you and your business!
Previous to Copart, I worked in Pensions and managed teams that primarily dealt with vulnerable customers and difficult situations. I am CII educated with a level 3 award in Financial Administration, and level 3 certificate in Mortgage Advice. My passion for helping others, my empathy and honestly has served me well in my 10 years of leadership so far, meaning I have had continued success and shown the impact I can make on a business.
I am studying the Level 5 Operations Manager apprenticeship as I love to learn all of the time; I have been able to apply everything I have learned with Paragon to my role at Copart and beyond; it has helped me understand myself, how to improve communication skills and organisation, and the important elements of a business that make up operations. I am supportive of Copart offering Paragon apprenticeships to all levels, so much so I have had a number of staff members sign up for them! The one-to-one support from my tutor, plus the ability to network in workshops has been priceless, and you can really feel a positive culture from Paragon.
In my spare time I enjoy switching off and spending time in the outdoors; I like to challenge myself in all aspects of life, and I can regularly be found (hopefully at the top of) a climbing wall, perhaps in the trees on a high ropes course, or doing something more relaxing like a walk on solid ground. I think it’s important to spend time away from social media and face to face with family and friends, so myself and my husband like to test our brains with escape rooms!
To me, an ambassador role represents what I am about perfectly; I want to help others in any way I can, I enjoy speaking on platforms and writing, and sharing my experiences to help others learn and thrive. It is important to show how accessible apprenticeships are, you don’t need to be 16 years old, you might think you know your role already, but every day is a school day; apprenticeships help you realise it’s ok to keep learning and appreciate the experience around you; one day you may use it to teach the next wave of apprentices!