Hi, my name is Oli Fitzgerald, and I have taken over
Jennifer’s blog this week! I’m 20 years old and for the past year I’ve been at
Newham College completing an apprenticeship in Social Media & Digital
Marketing.
For me, the possibility of an apprenticeship came around
when I was 18 years old and on a college IT course that I wasn’t enjoying as
much as I first imagined. My attention quickly turned to the idea of an
apprenticeship. I knew that through the apprenticeships regime I would be able
to gain some valuable work experience while earning a salary at the same time.
I left college and started a Level 2 Business &
Administration apprenticeship at my local council in Essex. After completing
the apprenticeship, I knew I would be eligible to progress onto a Level 3 which
offered a varied range of routes. I chose Social Media because of its
continuously expanding market and the genuine interest I have for it.
This is where Newham College came in. I found the vacancy
posted on the apprenticeships site and applied straight away. I have to say,
out of a number of applicants I was very lucky to get the role and am still
fortunate to be able to work in an environment that offers support on a daily
basis, while being respected as an employee.
Each day, I’m working in the college’s apprenticeships unit.
I have the opportunity to manage the social media side of things as well as
filling in on general admin tasks. All in all, I’m gaining more experience
every day, which is helping my career development and professionalism.
An apprenticeship cannot be passed without completing the
main framework that comes with the qualification. I’m lucky to be supported and
well looked after when it comes to my study days. Each Wednesday is my
designated ‘NVQ day’ where I am given the choice to work at my desk in the
office or seek out a quieter surrounding in one of the college’s training
rooms. The framework can be really quite enjoyable. The work includes having
the chance to create your own website to show off work on a made up social
media profile and much more.
The apprenticeship offers some really exciting progression
routes. Upon completion, I’m hoping I can use the experience and skills gained
to find a role in the Social Media & Digital Marketing sector to get a full
time job.
I hope this has given you a different insight into the
life of an apprentice!
Oli