National Apprenticeship Week 2024 is taking place between the 5th and 11th February. This year’s theme, ‘Skills For Life,’ provides the chance to reflect on how apprenticeships can equip people of all ages with essential skills. Despite the common misconception that apprenticeships are exclusively catered towards school leavers, they can be beneficial to people at various stages of their professional journey. While apprenticeships serve as an excellent transition for school leavers, enabling them to build on their education whilst gaining valuable work experience, it is important to note that they can be beneficial for individuals at any stage of their career.
The theme of Apprenticeship week is a great opportunity to reflect on my time so far as an apprentice at Ascendancy and some of the skills I have acquired since joining the company.
I started at Ascendancy in 2021, following my decision that the typical degree route wasn’t the right fit for me. Instead, the apprenticeship route stood out to me as something that I would enjoy and allow me to progress within. Since starting, I’ve found that it has not only allowed me to acquire new skills but also empowered me to apply them in my role at work. After deciding on this during my first year of Sixth Form, I explored various apprenticeships and opportunities within Digital Marketing before coming across Ascendancy and feeling like the company would align well with what I wanted to get out of an apprenticeship.
In addition to technical skills, I have developed many essential life skills, such as growing in confidence and nurturing a passion for my career within Digital Marketing. This passion has continuously inspired me to grow and improve within my role as well as progress through the company. For instance, I have had the opportunity to work on exciting projects for a variety of companies, expanding my knowledge of different businesses. I also feel that engaging with clients and meeting new people has significantly contributed to my confidence in the work that I do.
Among the skills acquired are analytical skills, effective communication, creative and critical thinking, and other skills that are more closely related and specific to digital marketing such as paid advertising and search engine optimisation. Learning on the job, particularly within a Digital Marketing role, has encouraged me to stay up-to-date with new industry trends, contributing to my adaptability in an ever-changing industry.
Since joining Ascendancy, I have moved on from my level 3 apprenticeship to now progressing through a degree apprenticeship at Aston University. Within this time, I have learnt many new skills which can be applied through various aspects of my life. The supportive environment and company culture at Ascendancy has helped within my education, playing a pivotal role within my overall progression.
Ascendancy believes in supporting the growth of apprentices to move up within the company and improve their confidence. An apprentice gets the same career opportunities as any other member of staff, the only difference is that they also spend one day per week studying. During my time with the company I have gradually taken on more responsibilities, been promoted to Executive level and now manage my own clients – just the same opportunities that a non apprentice would have had if they had demonstrated the same skills and aptitudes. A degree apprenticeship allows you to have the best of all worlds – gaining a valuable qualification at the same time as pursuing a rewarding career and building up lots of real world experience.
In the future, I am eager to continue with my degree apprenticeship and continue my time growing and learning with Ascendancy, where I hope to contribute to many more innovative projects within the company and gain new knowledge and experiences.
More from Ascendancy
You’ve booked the photographer, you’ve made sure that everyone’s available and they’re giving you their precious work time. Now what? How do you make the most of that time? With many…
As an e-commerce store, gaining exposure for your products is the key to gaining the sales needed to have a successful online presence. Google is often considered as the keeper of keys when it comes…
Always coffee in the mornings, then tea in the day. You can never go wrong with an Italian… until you have to pick whether you want pizza or pasta. But Italian is probably my favourite. I would…