Apprenticeships: Are they really as valuable as they seem? 

It’s National Apprenticeship Week this week, and we figured it’s a great time to give you a bit of insight into what apprenticeships mean for both apprentices and employers. We spoke to Alice Austin, an apprentice with Freshly Greated, and Tyla, an NCCI staff member who visited Event Concept to find out how having apprentices on board is helping them. 

First up, let’s hear from Alice! 

Hi Alice, tell us about yourself, your apprenticeship and your role at Freshly Greated. 

Hi, I’m Alice. I’m a Cultural Learning and Participation Officer apprentice. Through my apprenticeship, I am learning about the inner workings of an Arts Council funded project whilst working within the community. 

My role within Freshly Greated is to support the programme director, forming ideas for the community, boosting the organisation’s social media presence, making website updates, decorating sites for upcoming events and organising volunteers.

What has been your favourite experience so far, or the most valuable skills you’ve learned?

I’d say my favourite experience so far has been taking a leading role in Young Producers group sessions. I really enjoy working with them, helping them to realise skills they didn’t know they had. It’s exciting because the sessions are meaningful, because the work created in session will be used at upcoming gigs.

Why would you recommend apprenticeships to others?

Apprenticeships are a different kind of experience as they help you learn how to present yourself for future employment. When employers ask you tough questions in interviews, you will have a list or experiences to answer with.

Alice is clearly enjoying her apprenticeship and finding it valuable. But what about the employers that hire apprentices.. What does an apprentice bring to their business? Tyla stopped by Event Concept, the current host of three of our apprentices, to see how they’re getting on. 

“Event Concept, a London based events company, recently challenged our three apprentices to take on more senior technician roles for an on-site job for a regular client of theirs. The event was a corporate Halloween party at the By Word of Mouth warehouse, and the challenge was intended to test our apprentices in how well they could adapt to a more complicated role with higher demand.

The great news is that the event was a huge success. Our apprentices Shaeden, Laura and Vinit stepped up their games, transforming the venue into a beautiful, functional space. Shaeden filled the role of Crew Chief, preparing equipment sheets and job roles, scheduling the elements of the event, overseeing on the night and taking the lead on client liaison. 

Laura and Vinit managed lighting and audio respectively, which required organising prep sheets, equipment setup on and off stage and operating the lighting and sound on the night. 

The client and Event Concept were both really pleased with how the event came together, and noted that any event issues were resolved almost immediately. Their line manager at Event Concept, Tom, has also noted that he is extremely proud of their progress so far.”

As can be seen from this great case study by Tyla, an apprenticeship isn’t just about learning the basics. Employers aim to challenge apprentices by providing them with opportunities to expand what they do within the business. This benefits apprentices with ample learning opportunities, and it benefits employers as they have access to trained, experienced staff with the knowledge to hit the ground running at the end of their courses. 

If you’re interested in finding out more about an apprenticeship, you can see our current available opportunities here. You never know where it might take you.