Article summary: Hear from Apphia about her experience as an apprentice at Tillison Consulting, as well as employer Cheeky Rascals about how their business has benefitted from taking on apprentices.
Apprentice Case Study
Name: Apphia Brown
School attended: Horndean Technology College
Apprenticeship you are undertaking/completed: Digital Marketing Apprenticeship
Company you work for: Tillison Consulting
Job title: Junior Campaign Manager
Please give us a brief summary of your role
As a junior campaign manager for a digital marketing agency, I work with many different businesses in different industries to achieve success using Google Ads. I manage and monitor their Google Ads campaigns, continually optimising and improving. I work within an amazing team who support and help me learn as an apprentice and who all better my experience of working at Tillison Consulting.
Please explain your journey to becoming an apprentice
I had left college and decided to take a gap year, as I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. After working with my church as the social media content creator, I found that I enjoyed social media and digital marketing. I then found this job on Indeed to which I applied to and within a few days was contacted by PETA. After a phone interview and a video interview by PETA, I was invited to Tillison Consulting for 2 interviews. I then started my journey to finding a job I really enjoy!
Piece of advice you would give someone thinking of doing an apprenticeship
If I had to make the choice to do an apprenticeship again, I would say yes in a heartbeat! I think apprenticeships are a great idea, earning while learning. This apprenticeship has given me great support from PETA and my colleagues have taught me so much. My piece of advice is to focus first on the apprenticeship course itself and be sure that this is something you want to do, as the job role is something that can be changed if it isn't meeting your needs. The course leads to many different job roles, so if you would rather be a different type of digital marketer, for example, then you can! Apprenticeships open up many different doors, you've just got to look for one that fits you.
Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
This apprenticeship has taught me that there are so many channels to go down within digital marketing! In 5 years' time I definitely want to work within this industry, but perhaps work more creatively with either social media or content creation.
Employer Case Study
Company name: Cheeky Rascals Ltd
Which type of apprentices have you hired through PETA?
Business Administration
Please give us a brief summary of your company
We started 26 years ago as a distributor for nursery supplies. We have evolved over the years and now have a strong retail presence as well as continuing to supply independent retailers and major businesses.
Why did you choose to hire apprentices and how has this benefitted your company?
We decided that it would be a good opportunity for a young person to be able to experience a working environment whilst learning their trade. This brings fresh ideas to the company and allows the apprentice to flourish. We have employed our apprentice full-time since finishing her course.
A piece of advice you would give an individual thinking of doing an apprenticeship
Apprenticeships are an excellent alternative for those who are not sure what career path they want to take. It allows you to try something you may not have thought of doing before and prove your worth. Show that you are interested, listen well and learn from those around you.
A piece of advice you would give to other companies who are considering taking on apprentices
All apprentices will require different levels of nurture. Be prepared to share your own experiences and ensure that you invest yourself in their training to get the best from your apprentice. The rewards will be worth it.
Hear about more of our apprentices' experiences on our YouTube channel.