Intro

Hi, I’m Zach, and I’m a multichannel Marketing Apprentice at Skills and Education Group. Welcome back to my Monthly Blog!

Christmas is coming, and we are starting to plan the festivities. We have an organisational festive day next month, and I’m involved in organising the Comms Team contribution – we’ve been tasked with presenting what we do in a fun and imaginative way. We also have inspirational speaker Jaz Ampaw-Farr presenting, and I’m really excited to listen to her as she seems to be a truly inspirational woman. This will be an opportunity to reflect and celebrate our success and to end the year positively and together.

Black History Month Video

October was Black History Month, and we created a video where different Skills and Education Group staff members talked about what Black History Month means to them. This project was incredibly interesting as we heard how everyone felt, and everyone I interviewed had different things to say. Romario’s talk on what Black History Month means to him was really beautiful, and Karl’s quote also made me reflect. You can watch the video here.

National Apprentice Ambassador Network

I have recently joined The Apprentice Ambassador Network, and I am excited about the opportunities it offers for networking, assisting at events, and sharing my experiences. From my perspective, the university route is heavily promoted, while apprenticeships often do not receive enough attention. Students need to be informed about their options so they don’t feel pressured to attend a prestigious university; apprenticeships are a fantastic alternative. I believe more people should consider apprenticeships, and as an ambassador, I aim to help make that possible.

College

I’m progressing well with my college work and have now moved on to learning about new technologies in marketing. I have also started to learn more about the theory behind marketing, and I have been able to think about the different aspects of my job and how they link to my education. I have also learnt more about terms such as the marketing mix and the 7 P’s and their meanings (promotion, product, price, people, purpose, process, place). It has been exciting to learn the theory behind my work.

Consolidation

Something I like about being an apprentice is that everything is new and unknown. Yes, this can be terrifying; however, when you get support and overcome those challenges, it’s the best feeling in the world. I have made so much progress and love seeing how I develop. Being at Skills and Education Group is a new experience for me; it’s my first time doing anything like this. I haven’t even studied marketing before, so taking a step back to reflect on everything I can do now that I couldn’t before, as well as all the major projects I’ve been a part of, is truly amazing.

So, in my role as an Apprenticeship Ambassador, I would say that if you are unsure about your next steps, you should consider an apprenticeship. It enables you to grow and develop — believe in yourself, take risks, and see where it takes you! If you don’t believe me, then take a look at my interview with fellow Skills and Education Group Apprentice Amber – here.