- Jane Batchelor
Celebrating our Apprentices!
It’s National Apprenticeship Week this week, a week designed to encourage everyone to consider how apprenticeships can help individuals to build the skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career. gbpartnerships group have been running a rolling apprenticeship programme for nearly 4 years, with the aim of retaining qualified apprentices into the company. Here we share thoughts from our current apprentices, Tara Dowling and Haleemah Hanefa about their experiences of undertaking an apprenticeship.
Tara joined gbpartnerships in September 2021 and is undertaking a Digital Marketing Apprenticeship. She supports the marketing function across the gbp group of companies, managing and updating 15 websites is just a small part of what she does on a daily basis.
Tara, what attracted you to doing an apprenticeship?
The reason I chose to do an apprenticeship was because it allowed me to get a more hands-on experience in my chosen career path and is allowing me to acquire valuable skills for my chosen sector. I also further believe that learning in a working environment was a lot more beneficial for me rather than sitting in a lecture hall for over an hour as the physical experience is helping me to develop the practical skills and understanding I need in order to excel in my role and gain desirable skills for future employees. Furthermore, I was always interested in the media industry and the ways in which the media work, growing up, and in the past few years I came to realise how heavily reliant many businesses are on the rapid development of the technological world and essentially how effective digital marketing is.
From studying Media at GCSE, I decided I wanted a career within the media industry, and since starting A-Levels, the marketing aspect of my business course allowed me to further develop my knowledge of different markets and how I would be able to appeal to the mass audience. The two of these subjects combined allowed me to discover the digital marketing industry and influenced me to apply for an apprenticeship in order to potentially thrive in an industry I have so much passion for.
What advice would you give to others considering an apprenticeship?
Firstly, it is important to find out as much about the apprenticeship you are thinking of doing and be convinced you are going to enjoy the job, nobody wants to work in a career that they don’t enjoy so take some time to ensure that you will enjoy it, even if its something brand new and you have little to no experience, as long as you believe you can thrive in your chosen apprenticeship and have a passion to succeed, apprenticeships are a really good opportunity to help you find your way in your chosen career path and allow you to take that first step into your future career.
Secondly, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Starting an apprenticeship can be daunting and if you’re struggling with a piece of work or even a college task it’s important to ask for help as you are there to learn and everyone around you will be there to offer advice or guidance. When starting an apprenticeship, you won’t know how to do everything straight away, and that is okay. There may be times when you need to ask for help and your colleagues will be a great source of support.
Finally, enthusiasm and organisation skills are very important. A positive approach to every task is important, as although every area of your role may not be as interesting as other, you’re just starting out your career and having an understanding of all areas of your job will be immensely beneficial for your future, allowing you to gain a lot of experience. Moreover. Organisation skills are important in order to complete all the tasks that are required, doing an apprenticeship will mean you will have to balance your time between completing official work tasks and completing college assignments, it may be difficult at first, but if you plan your time efficiently anyone can succeed.
Do you have any plans for further study / development when you have completed your apprenticeship?
Since I started my apprenticeship, I have considered going to university after it is completed. I have no plans set in stone but have considered doing a 4-year digital marketing university course once my time at gbpartnerships is over. However, this is heavily dependant on whether I become a full-time employee or not. At the end of my apprenticeship, if I get offered a full-time job or find a permanent roll in another business, I would be more inclined to continue my career this way rather than further education.
Any longer term plans you want to share?
The only long-term plan I essentially have is to become a successful digital marketer. In the future I want to continue to be happy with my chosen career and thrive in an industry I still enjoy.
What would be your superpower?
If I could choose any superpower, I think I would choose to be able to shape-shift. I enjoy trying different things and being able to shape-shift would open up a range of different opportunities. I believe it would be interesting to see the world from different perspectives whether through another person eyes or even as an animal.
Haleemah also joined gbp in September 2021. She is working as part of the gbp group services team as trainee Business Administrator and is currently undertaking a Business Administration Apprenticeship and once completed, she will receive a BTEC Level 3 Diploma.
Haleemah, what attracted you to doing an apprenticeship?
What attracted me to an apprenticeship was that it gave me a chance to develop skills and experience in a workplace whilst working towards a qualification. Even though this seemed like it would be difficult at first, it has helped me handle many responsibilities at once and improved my organisational skills.
What advice would you give to others considering an apprenticeship?
Some advice I’d give to others who are considering an apprenticeship would be to stay organised and keep on top of tasks as it can be quite a big change if you’re coming out of school or sixth form college. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions - as well as learning a lot more, you’ll show your employer that you truly care about the job and shows your willingness to learn. The main thing is to enjoy it all! An apprenticeship helps you discover your true potential so enjoy it and make the most of it!
Do you have any plans for further study / development when you have completed your apprenticeship?
When I started at gbp I was certain of what I wanted to do in the future, however since starting with the business I’ve changed my mind quite a few times. I’ve learnt a lot about different roles from my colleagues which has really opened my eyes to different roles in a business and how they all contribute to the business. This has influenced my thinking a lot and I hope to keep learning and make my decision around what comes next near the end of my apprenticeship.
What would be your superpower?
Time travel.