Ever wondered who’s steering the ship at 1st for EPA, keeping our strategy sharp, our standards high, and somehow still making every Zoom meeting with a smile?
It’s time to step behind the scenes and meet the powerhouse leading our team: Helen Shinner, our Managing Director.
From navigating the evolving world of End Point Assessment to balancing overflowing inboxes, sparking innovation, and (yes) the occasional debate over the best office biscuits, Helen is at the heart of our mission to support training providers and raise the bar for apprenticeships.
🌟 What inspired you to start an EPAO and join the apprenticeships world?
I fell into the apprenticeships world, but once I was in, I loved it. It’s really rewarding being able to support apprentices and see how they grow and shape their own career. I started 1st for EPA for these reasons and also to give employers and providers more choice of EPAO. I’ve always been driven by quality, great customer service and the ethos ‘do what you say you’ll do’, and I wanted to create an EPAO that had these values at its core.
🏆 What achievement are you most proud of since founding 1st for EPA?
We’ve grown from a brand-new name into a trusted business serving thousands of apprentices. I credit our success to our team, who live and breathe our values every day. As we grew from a small company, it was amazing to see the positive reviews and how customers were excited to recommend us to others.
📈 How do you stay ahead of industry trends and keep the company at the forefront?
I love change, and as a company we’re always evolving. It’s vital to stay proactive and consider the art of the possible, to support providers and apprentices through the challenges they face. We’re more than a company in their supply chain, we work as partners. We combine our passion with our expertise to address sector challenges and deliver solutions.
⚠️ What are the biggest challenges facing training providers and EPAOs today?
As we shift to the new style of assessment, we all need to take responsibility for upholding quality. As an awarding organisation, we need to support providers, employers and apprentices through the transition. It’s paramount we give all apprentices a fair and equal opportunity to succeed. Training providers face a lot of pressures, so we’ll continue to find ways to support them.
🤝 What’s the most valuable support an EPAO can give a training provider?
Honestly, I’d say a close working relationship. We have invaluable guidance and resources, but sometimes customers just need to pick up the phone and know someone’s there to give an honest answer and explore what’s possible.
💬 What’s your proudest moment outside of 1st for EPA?
My daughter, Eve, who’s now six. I started 1st for EPA when she was just 11 months old, so it felt like I had two young children! She keeps me laughing every day.
Here’s her latest joke:
“Why was the horse on the ceiling?
…Because it wanted to be helpful.”
🎯 What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve received?
It’s not a single piece of advice, but growing up with the message that you can achieve what you set your mind to. I don’t want to change the world, but I can take a small corner of it and make it better. That’s what I hope we do for apprentices.
🔥 Light-hearted Fire Round: This or That with Helen
We ended our chat with some quickfire questions. Here’s how Helen answered:
• Tea or Coffee? Tea
• Early bird or Night owl? I am neither!
• Emails or Meetings? Emails for information, meetings for discussion
• Sweet or Savoury? Sweet 100%
• Dogs or Cats? Cats
• Summer or Winter? Summer
• Netflix binge or Outdoor adventure? Outdoor adventure
• Pen and paper or Digital notes? Digital
• City break or Countryside escape? City break
• Classic pub or Trendy restaurant? Pub all the way
• Phone call or Text? Text
• Book or Podcast? Book
☕ Thanks for Joining Us!
We loved catching up with Helen and sharing a bit of the personality, passion, and leadership that drive 1st for EPA forward.
