An apprenticeship is a real job where you learn, gain experience and get paid. You're an employee with a contract of employment and holiday leave. By the end of an apprenticeship, you'll have the right skills and knowledge needed for your chosen career. In 2019/20, there were 719,000 people participating in an apprenticeship in England.
The benefits of an apprenticeship compared to further education, or a full time job, are numerous. This is because it allows the student to learn a skill(s), gain experience in their field, and be paid for it at the end of the month. There are benefits of both apprenticeships and further education with no deciding factor for each. It boils down to a mix of what suits the needs/character of the individual.
Many people believe that apprenticeships are still only applicable to traditional trades, such as bricklaying, farriery or carpentry. However, this is not the case anymore, with apprenticeships being offered in almost every industry, from IT to marketing, telecommunications and sport.
We spoke to John, our Digital Marketing apprentice, about his experience so far.
I think I always knew that I wanted to do an apprenticeship, and I had been interested in marketing for a long time, however somewhat subconsciously. So it only made sense really, to look for an apprenticeship in a marketing-related role. What gravitated me towards it is the hands-on job experience, as I have always been more of a practical, on-the-job learner. This has suited me really well, and I have really appreciated the work/learning split. The fact that I have the opportunity to work for a nationally accredited certificate is always a bonus as well!
As a Digital Marketing Apprentice here at Mauveworx, I have a multitude of different tasks, and it varies a lot from day to day and week to week. I work on tasks such as social posts, whether that means creating the imagery or writing copy. I am involved in the creation of various email campaigns, which has been a great opportunity. I have also been able to sit in, and present in, executive level meetings.
Having started my position at Mauveworx at the back end of 2020, it was a very strange time to enter a new role, which is something which can be a challenge enough even without a global pandemic. Despite working the first three months at home, it has been a brilliant experience so far, and I have had some invaluable opportunities to grow my skillset. These include being able to work on the website, conducting email campaigns, and managing the business' social media presence.
Would you like to hear more from Toby? Sign up here for weekly blog updates.