I am proof that apprenticeships are not just for 16 – 18-year olds. I joined In the Works PR in 2017 as a Level 3 Digital Marketing Apprentice, prior to that I was a 23-year old homeowner who desperately wanted to change career direction.
Prior to entering PR, I’d been in the hospitality industry since I was 15. I’d done well in my GCSEs (albeit eight years previously), but due to a major injury and subsequent rehabilitation, I didn’t complete my A Levels. So, I took to working full time, saving up as much as possible to get my foot on the property ladder.
I managed that in 2015 and plodded on doing jobs that I enjoyed but didn’t feel fulfilled my academic potential. I loved working in customer facing environments and giving customers a great experience but wasn’t mentally stimulated by the roles I was doing. At the beginning of 2017 I decided that enough was enough and that it was time to put my future first and get my priorities in order.
My house went on the market and I pursued an apprenticeship. The loss of earnings meant I wouldn’t be able to balance the books for the first year, but my five-year plan (if I could stick to it) would leave me far better off – professionally and financially. I wanted something that combined my creative side with my love of writing.
A digital marketing apprenticeship seemed to be the perfect fit, so I applied to In the Works PR and was successful. I then spent a couple of days wondering if I was going insane. Was I making the right decision to give up the independence of being a home owner, moving back in with parents at 23, putting myself in an environment where I would be around other apprentices six, seven years younger than me doing the same level of qualification or higher?
I bit the bullet. Swallowed my pride. I was adamant that I could make this short-term loss for a huge long-term gain. And I am 100% sure that I was right.
I’m approaching the end of my apprenticeship and have been fully supported by my employer and colleagues. Because of my age the investment that Anna and Emma have made to my learning is greater – apprentices over 19 incur more costs to the employer. But they believed in me enough from my interview and assessments to take me on board and I am hugely appreciative of that and their ongoing support and belief in me.
I’m working with a huge range of clients, learning all aspects of the PR and Digital Marketing industries, building relationships with journalists, gaining exposure to a whole range of situations that academic learning alone could never provide, and building a vast portfolio of work along the way.
Apprenticeships are something many people consider at this time of year, as they near the end of their academic studies, often feeling the pressures of exams and sometimes find they’re on a route which is not entirely suited to them. My advice is not to view an apprenticeship as a drop-out option – they have evolved so much since I left school.
Apprenticeships are no longer the ‘easy option’ as they were viewed when I was in education, but that stigma has remained in some instances. Apprenticeships are an alternative learning and career development route that may just hold the answer you’re looking for.
My apprenticeship has allowed me to change career direction, gain an A-Level equivalent qualification that otherwise would have cost me thousands of pounds, continue to earn, and forge a future for myself that I am genuinely excited for. Later this year I have the option to go onto a Level 4 qualification and further my education and experience.
Apprenticeships are no longer just for non-academics or for tradespeople. There are apprenticeships out there for practically every industry in one form or another – you just need to go out of your way to find them.
Chesterfield is an Apprentice Town, with many local businesses fully understanding the benefits of employing apprentices and being able to pass on the benefits of work-based learning to not only young people, but those wanting to change direction or earn qualifications in their field.
My apprenticeship has allowed me to shape my future into something more positive and suited to me. Let’s remove the stigma and snobbery that still surrounds apprenticeships.
