As part of National Apprenticeship Week, we are proud to shine a spotlight on one of our talented apprentices, Kellyann Stanley, who is completing her Business Administration Apprenticeship at our Fair Oak depot. Since joining Meachers Global Logistics in April 2025, Kellyann has become an invaluable part of the team, bringing enthusiasm, adaptability, and a genuine passion for learning.
Her journey so far highlights the real value of apprenticeships within our industry, showing how hands-on experience and structured development can shape confident and capable future professionals.
Starting Your Journey
1. What made you choose an apprenticeship over college or university?
The main reason I wanted to do an apprenticeship rather than university is that I wanted to gain practical experience alongside learning to help better my understanding and learning skills that would be harder to do in an education setting like management skills or problem solving.
2. What were you looking for when deciding where to apply?
When deciding where to apply for my apprenticeship in, I was looking for a company where I could gain hands-on experience in a fast-paced, real-world environment. A transport and logistics depot really stood out to me because it’s an industry that relies heavily on strong organisation, communication, and teamwork, all key parts of business administration.
Your Day-to-Day Experience
3. What does a typical day look like in your role?
A typical day in my role as an apprentice in business administration at a transport logistics depot is very varied and fast-paced. I usually start by checking emails and responding to any urgent queries from drivers, customers, or other departments. From there, I support the team with administrative tasks such as updating delivery schedules, inputting data into internal systems, contacting customers to confirm bookings and delivery details, and ensuring records are accurate and up to date. Because it’s a logistics environment, priorities can change quickly, so I’ve learned to stay organised and adapt to last-minute updates or issues. Working closely with different teams, such as operations and transport planning, has helped me to understand how the administrative side supports the overall depot performance. Each day gives me the opportunity to develop my communication, time management, and problem-solving skills while contributing to keeping the depot running efficiently.
4. Which tasks or responsibilities have surprised you the most?
One of the things that has surprised me most in this role is how much responsibility I’ve been trusted with as an apprentice. I didn’t expect to be so involved in important day-to-day tasks, such as updating delivery schedules, handling customer queries, and ensuring documentation is accurate and compliant. It made me realise how vital the administrative role is in keeping operations running smoothly. I’ve also been surprised by how quickly priorities can change in a transport and logistics environment. Delays, traffic issues, or last-minute customer requests mean plans sometimes need to be adjusted at short notice. Being part of that process has shown me how important organisation, communication, and problem-solving skills are.
5. How has your role changed since you first started?
Since I first started, my role has developed quite a lot. In the beginning, I focused mainly on basic administrative tasks such as filing, data entry, and observing how the depot operates. This helped me build confidence and understand the systems and processes we use. As I’ve gained more experience, I’ve taken on greater responsibility. I now handle more complex tasks, such as updating delivery schedules, communicating directly with drivers and customers, processing paperwork, and helping to resolve minor issues independently. I’ve also become more involved in supporting the wider team, rather than just completing assigned tasks.
Learning and Development
6. How do you balance working and studying?
Balancing work and study are very important; I feel as though the only way this is possible is to be very organised and managing my time carefully. I plan ahead, keep track of deadlines, and make good use of my off-the-job training time to complete coursework. By starting assignments early and communicating with my manager and tutor when needed, I’m able to stay on top of both my work responsibilities and my studies.
7. What new skills have you gained, both practical and personal?
During my apprenticeship, I’ve gained practical administrative skills such as managing records, using internal systems, and supporting scheduling and customer communication. I’ve also developed personal skills including confidence, time management, organisation, problem-solving, and the ability to stay calm in a fast-paced environment.
8. How supportive are your managers and colleagues with coursework or exams?
My team is very supportive of my coursework and exams, offering to help on days where I have studying to do, or allowing me to be flexible in my college days, course dates where my responsibilities will be taken over by the team as a whole.
Understanding Your Career Path
9. What have you learned about the logistics industry that you didn’t know before?
I’ve learned that the logistics industry is fast-paced and highly complex, requiring careful planning, coordination, and communication. I didn’t realise how important accurate administration and documentation are, or how quickly things can change due to factors like traffic, delays, or last-minute customer requests, and how important it is to adapt quickly while keeping customers informed. Overall, I now understand how essential teamwork and organisation are to keeping operations running smoothly.
10. What kinds of careers could someone grow into from your role?
From my apprenticeship in a transport logistics depot, there are several career paths you could grow into. I could move into roles such as Operations Coordinator, Logistics Planner, or Office Manager. With experience, there are also opportunities in Supply Chain Management, Customer Service Management, or even Project Management within the transport and logistics industry. The role provides a strong foundation in administration, organisation, and communication, which are valuable skills for many business-focused careers.
Challenges and Achievements
11. What has been your biggest challenge so far, and how did you overcome it?
I think that my biggest challenge so far has been adapting to the fast-paced environment of the depot, where priorities can change quickly and unexpected issues can arise. At first, it was difficult to manage multiple tasks at the same time while staying organised and accurate, while also staying calm in stressful situations. I overcame this by improving my time management and organisational skills. I started using lists and prioritising tasks, and I made sure to ask questions when I was unsure. Over time, I became more confident in handling changing priorities and resolving issues efficiently, which has made me much more effective in my role.
12. What personal achievement are you most proud of since joining?
My personal achievement that I am most proud of is being a part of the Maritime and Transport Careers Programme Career’s day, this was an event to advocate for Meachers as a company and to also market apprenticeships for young people or anyone interested in starting into a new role alongside education. I was very proud to have been apart of something so influential during an apprenticeship of my own and I was happy to educate people as to why it could be beneficial for them to do an apprenticeship especially as a lot of them were unsure with what they wanted to do or unsure why an apprenticeship is helpful or more suited to some.
Advice for Future Apprentices
13. What advice would you give to school leavers considering an apprenticeship?
I would advise school leavers to be open-minded and willing to learn, because an apprenticeship gives you real hands-on experience that you can’t get in a classroom but could also be hard to dive right into. Something I would ensure to do is stay organised, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to take on new challenges, it’s a great way to develop practical skills, build confidence, and explore different career paths. Most importantly, choose an apprenticeship in an area that genuinely interests you, so you stay motivated and enjoy the experience.
14. What skills or qualities do you think help someone succeed here?
Confidence is a main skill, obviously this is learnt through time but initially confidence is key to asking questions and clarifying things your unsure of to prevent mistakes and enhance understanding. I also think that being open minded/ willing to learn is a big one as there is a lot of information to get your head around initially, especially if this is the first time you’re going into a role of work rather than a classroom setting. Good communication and teamwork are essential, as you’ll be working with drivers, customers, and colleagues across different departments so being clear and understanding is essential. Being adaptable and able to stay calm under pressure is also important, because priorities/plans can change quickly and being flexible ensures things to still move steady.
About Working at Meachers
15. How would you describe the culture at Meachers Global Logistics?
The culture at Meachers Global Logistics is friendly, supportive, and team-focused, with a strong emphasis on quality, service, and doing things the right way. The company values training, development, and loyalty, while also encouraging staff to adapt in a fast-paced environment. Overall, it’s a place where teamwork, trust, and continuous improvement are important.
16. What support or training has been the most valuable for you?
The training that I have had that has been the most valuable is the emergency first aid and excel course. Emergency first aid as it helped me to gain responsibility and confident in taking action. I think the excel course was beneficial as excel is used repeatedly in the daily operations of the depot and was helpful in enhancing confidence for tasks I have been assigned to.
17. What makes Meachers a good place to start a career?
I think that Meachers is a great place to start a career as it has a lot of different areas to progress into and enables you to gain a great level of experience in lots of different aspects of work. It also offers strong support, training and development for people at the beginning of their working life and allows you feel at ease while learning. We also have structured programmes that allow you to explore different parts of the business and grow into new roles.
Inspiration for School Students
18. What was the first week like when you started your apprenticeship?
The first week of my apprenticeship was initially based around understanding the operation and tasks that I will be responsible for at some point. This was also used to allow me to ask any questions and try to better my understanding of the industry. Overall, it was a gradual start into responsibility and new industry.
19. If you could talk to your 16-year-old self, what would you tell them about apprenticeships?
I would tell my 16-year-old self that apprenticeships are an excellent way to gain real-world experience while learning, and that they can open doors to a long-term career. I’d say to be open-minded, ask lots of questions, and not worry about making mistakes. Most importantly, I’d encourage them to choose an area they’re genuinely interested in, because it makes the experience far more rewarding and enjoyable.
20. What myth about apprenticeships would you most like to bust?
The biggest myth I’d like to bust is that apprenticeships is that they are less valuable than going to college. In reality, apprenticeships give you real hands-on experience, practical skills, and professional qualifications while you earn, and they can lead to strong, long-term career opportunities.
