National Apprenticeship Week
This week is National Apprenticeship Week. The annual celebration of apprenticeships focuses on the benefits of apprenticeships to both learners and employers. It encourages them to showcase how apprentices have had a positive impact in the workplace. Apprenticeships provide learners with an alternative route to college or university. They can give them real and paid work experience alongside an education. This year is especially important, as it will recognise how employers of all sizes have stepped up to the challenge during this unprecedented time.
The theme for National Apprenticeship Week 2021 is “Build the Future”. Apprenticeships can help individuals of all backgrounds to develop the skills and knowledge needed to progress into a great career. Apprenticeships are a great contribution to building a workforce equipped with future ready skills.
#AskAnApprentice
Today’s theme is #AskAnApprentice, which hopes to inspire individuals into considering the apprenticeship route. In line with this, we have spoken to one of our current digital marketing apprentices to find out about what they have learned so far on their digital journey.
Billy Armitage
Billy Armitage is currently completing his Level 3 Digital Marketing Apprenticeship with The B2W Group. Supporting the marketing team, Billy works on key areas including social media planning and website management. We found out more about his experience on the programme.
What made you want to pursue an apprenticeship?
I chose the apprenticeship route to further develop my creative skills that I had learned during my time at college. I also wanted to know more about the marketing industry in a working environment.
Before going into an apprenticeship, what did you know about digital marketing?
As mentioned, I already possessed some creative skills which helps greatly in a marketing role. However, I personally knew very little about digital marketing before going into this apprenticeship. Although it was all quite new to me, the idea of marketing a product and/or service online was an interesting concept to me. I wanted to explore the area further through this apprenticeship.
What new knowledge and skills have you learned so far in your apprenticeship?
I have learned how to create an online marketing campaign and analyse their success. I am able to do this through the use of various analytical tools such as Google Analytics and Instagram Insights, which have been implemented into my everyday role at The B2W Group. Analysing the success allows me to see which areas work and which need further improvement. This lets us improve our future campaigns.
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is another key area I have learned about. I learned new techniques on how to increase our organic ranking on search engines to gain more visitors to the website.
Furthermore, I have learned the best practices for content creation and creating engaging content that builds a connection with our target audience.
What responsibilities have you had since starting your apprenticeship?
Since starting the apprenticeship, I’ve been responsible for planning and creating content that is used across multiple social media platforms. I heavily focus on managing the Instagram page in particular. I have also been involved in managing the company website pages and analysing the activity respectively.
What is your biggest achievement since starting your apprenticeship?
I would say my biggest achievement would be relaunching and managing the company Instagram. Before I started, the Instagram profile was no longer being utilised as a way to reach our audience. I was able to create a plan on how we can best use the platform and now use it as a way to focus on building brand awareness and lead generation.
What are you looking forward to in the future?
I am looking forward to seeing how my creative skills progress further throughout my apprenticeship. I am also excited to see what new marketing techniques and tools I can discover.
Would you recommend an apprenticeship to others?
Yes I would definitely recommend an apprenticeship to others. It’s a great route for those that are just leaving education and want to get a hands on experience in a working environment. Apprenticeships also teach you the most up-to-date knowledge and you will have the opportunity to work with and get advice from industry experts.
Have a question about apprenticeships?
Choosing your next step can be daunting. However, apprenticeships provide a vast range of opportunities in a number of sectors and have proven to be an effective way of kick starting your chosen career. If you would like to find out more about how an apprenticeship could work for you, you can contact our team.
