Learning at Work Week 2026 – Meet Dimitar Iliev

Learning at Work Week 2026 is all about the ‘Many Ways to Learn’. Recognising that personal and professional growth doesn’t just happen in a classroom.

Whether it is through learning by doing, coaching from a supportive tutor, or social learning with colleagues, there are so many paths to building new skills. We know that balancing a qualification with a busy job is a journey full of different experiences, so we asked some of our apprentices to share theirs. These stories highlight the various ways our learners have harnessed their own potential to grow, evolve, and succeed in their roles.

Recently we asked them to share their Apprenticeship journey, looking at the different ways they have picked up new skills and the impact this has had on their career so far.

Meet Dimitar Iliev, a Payroll Officer at The Wensum Trust.

Question 1 – What made you decide to take on an Apprenticeship rather than another route into the role?
Although I had previous payroll experience, I had never received formal training or a recognised qualification. After joining The Wensum Trust, I chose the Level 3 Payroll Administrator Apprenticeship to strengthen my knowledge of legislation and compliance, and to build my long-term professional credibility.

Question 2 – What were you hoping to get out of the Apprenticeship when you started?
I wanted to challenge myself to become more than just someone who processes payroll. I hoped to fully understand the rationale behind calculations and legislation so I could perform my role with greater accuracy, while also proving I could succeed in a technical public sector role despite English not being my first language.

Question 3 – Were there any nerves or doubts going in?
I was quite nervous about the End Point Assessment (EPA), specifically the online discussions and presentations. As a native Bulgarian, I had to learn the profession from scratch while adapting to British workplace culture and terminology. There were times I doubted myself, but the process has shown me I am capable of far more than I initially believed.

Question 4 – What is something you have learned through your Apprenticeship that you have actually used at work?
Learning how payroll calculations work “behind the scenes” has been invaluable. I now manually calculate tax, National Insurance, and pension contributions using HMRC tax tables to check for variances. It has improved my attention to detail because I now understand the logic instead of just trusting the software output.

Question 5 – Has there been a moment where something “clicked”?
It clicked for me when I started connecting the theory to real-day situations. I stopped just following a process and started understanding the reasoning behind the legislation. This allowed me to handle complex queries independently and explain those calculations clearly to employees and managers.

Question 6 – How do you fit learning around your day job?
I use my allocated six hours of off-the-job learning on Fridays to focus on coursework and workshops. My advice to others is to stay organised and break tasks into smaller steps—the more you engage with the learning, the more confidence you build over time.

Question 7 – What is the most useful support you have had?
The support has been above and beyond. My tutor, Megan Smith, was incredible during mock professional discussions and EPA prep. My employer trusted me with real responsibilities, and my partner provided the motivation I needed to stay focused during demanding periods.

Question 8 – What can you do now that you could not do before you started?
I now manage a wide range of complex scenarios I wouldn’t have felt confident with before, such as redundancy payments, settlement agreements, and various pension schemes like LGPS and TPS. I can also conduct manual checks and investigations into high-volume payroll processing.

Question 9 – Have you noticed a change in your confidence, your responsibilities, or how others see you at work?
Yes, I am much more independent now. I am trusted with more complex tasks and feel confident speaking professionally to non-payroll colleagues to explain technical information. It has truly changed the way I approach problem-solving at work.

Question 10 – In one sentence, what would you say the Apprenticeship has given you?
My Apprenticeship has given me the confidence, knowledge, and belief in myself to grow from someone with payroll experience into a skilled payroll professional.

Question 11 – What would you say to someone in your team or sector who is thinking about an Apprenticeship but has not taken the leap yet?
Don’t wait until you feel “ready”. Growth comes from challenging yourself and stepping outside of your comfort zone. I now actively promote Apprenticeships in my workplace because I’ve seen how they open doors for future career progression.

Dimitar Iliev
Payroll Officer at The Wensum Trust