Apprenticeships - My Experience
For as long as I can remember, there has always been a stigma around apprenticeships and many students in school/college don’t really see it as a positive stepping stone for their career.
Perhaps this due to the lack information given from colleges about this route and the constant pressure that is put on students to apply for university. When studying for my A-Levels, I felt that university was the best option and the only option I could take as this was what my life revolved around at the time. Teachers always said to study hard so I could be accepted by the top universities, take part in extra curricular activities so it’s look good on my personal statement for university. When this is all you can think about, when do you even have the time to explore other options?
This is why being being one mark off from getting the grades I needed to attend university was a blessing in disguise. Sure, I got my papers remarked in a panic and did reach the grades in the end, but it gave me time to explore all my options.
I came across an apprenticeship opportunity while looking for things to do on this unexpected gap year that I had acquired. Advertising at Channel 4; I’d always thought about working in the media industry and this was the perfect opportunity for me to do just that!
The more I researched into Channel 4, the more I realised what an amazing place it would be to work. Diversity in TV and the media is a top priority for Channel 4 and a key part of their remit is to appeal to people whatever their culture, nationality, religious persuasion, physical and mental ability, sexual orientation, gender, race or age. This is something I could definitely get behind seeing as I was coming from an ethnic minority background, practising Islam and was a female! What they stood for really pushed me to work hard in securing one of those roles.
Now, I am one year in and absolutely loving it. The knowledge I’ve gained on digital marketing and advertising sales has been incredibly useful and has equipped me with enough knowledge to apply for any graduate role with confidence. I don’t feel disadvantaged by not studying a media degree beforehand as I have gained my knowledge through experience, which has been invaluable to my learning. Not only this, it has made more confident in myself and my ideas, more than I ever have been before.
It is time for apprenticeships to be given a sense of esteem and be recognised as a path for ambitious young people who are open to an alternative to traditional university routes.
