This new Trailblazer apprenticeship was developed in 2018 through an industry-leading collaboration between the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR), the National College Creative industries and The Ticket Factory. The ticketing industry is evolving rapidly as new technologies are developed and adopted. The new apprenticeship gives employers the opportunity to recruit and develop trained and qualified people able to benefit fully from the use of these technologies and to provide first class service to customers and clients.
Latest recruit, Maia, realised that university was not for her when she was studying her A Levels at school. She was keen to break away from full-time education, stay close to home and get into paid employment, so she started to look for an apprenticeship.
She says: “On my apprenticeship, I am based in the contact centre taking bookings on the phone. I will also rotate around all areas of The Ticket Factory including Dispatch, Marketing and IT to give me a fully rounded experience of the business.”
Maia continued, “I am given lots of opportunities to learn new skills on my apprenticeship. Recently I supported a work experience visit by a local school to Resorts Arena which was really interesting to be involved with. It was great to see young people keen to find out more about what we do. I really enjoyed teaching them about The Ticket Factory and how the business operates.”
Of her apprenticeship, Maia is quick to recommend the option to those leaving school and wondering what to do next. She said: “I’m almost half-way through my apprenticeship already and it’s going really well. I feel really comfortable on it and know that I made the right decision when I left school. I work closely with my manager and assessor from National College Creative Industries to plan my assignments and complete them - my assessor visits me at work every eight weeks which really helps to keep my apprenticeship on track. I am due to complete my apprenticeship in November 2020 and I would love to stay at the Ticket Factory and progress within the business and continue learning new things!”
Richard Howle, Director of Ticketing for The Ticket Factory said: “We were proud to support STAR and the National College Creative Industries to create the new Ticketing apprenticeship. Ticketing is a brilliant industry which requires a broad range of skills and expertise and is full of opportunities. Hot on the heels of the success of our first Ticketing Apprentice, Melissa Halling, we were delighted to welcome Maia to the team. We hope that this will be the start of a long and successful career in Ticketing for her.”
