Voice Communications celebrates National Apprenticeship week

Voice is celebrating the success of young people this National Apprenticeship week (6-10 March). Since being established in 20016, Voice has successfully trained three apprentices, with two of these apprentices still working with the company. In addition to this, Voice is currently training a fourth apprentice with the industry body, PRCA.
To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, Voice team member Megan House, 20, from Colchester, has shared her apprentice experiences. Megan joined Voice in March 2015 and began her apprenticeship to earn a Level 3 diploma in Social Media and Digital Marketing, before being offered a full-time position at Voice as an Account Executive. Recently, Megan has been promoted to Senior Account Executive and has shared her experience as well as some helpful tips and tricks.
Megan says: “Nowadays, you can find an apprenticeship suitable for just about any career which is something that has only recently become available. In the past, apprenticeships were offered for practical jobs such as building, carpentry, hairdressing or childcare. However, there’s now apprenticeships for plenty of theory based careers including PR, Digital Marketing, Website design and more.
Before beginning my career at Voice at the age of 18, I had only a basic understanding of the PR and Marketing industry however it’s fair to say that over the past two years, I’ve fallen in love with the job. It is the fast pace and the fact that every day is different that keeps me on my toes and is what I love most about my career. By studying as an apprentice, I could learn on the job whilst also earning a wage; a luxury that a lot of students do not have. My apprenticeship was also government funded so didn’t cost me a penny.
After leaving school in 2013, I knew that sixth form college and A-Levels were not for me however unsure what to do, I dipped my toe into blogging. As much as I loved this, it was the other side of the computer that I wanted to be sitting at, and this is what inspired me to email Voice in the hope of the opportunity for an apprenticeship. And, as luck would have it, I was invited in for an interview, started as a PR Assistant two weeks later and was enrolled with a college.
Below are some of my top tips to make the most of your apprenticeship:
< Ask questions – Asking questions can be daunting but if you don’t ask, you’ll never know. This is why I recommend asking every question that springs to mind, not only will you be learning new things but you’re also proving to your colleagues that you have a genuine interest.
 
< Shadow your seniors – Senior colleagues are a fantastic source of knowledge. They’ve worked in the industry and know all the tricks of the trade so learn from these team members whenever possible.
 
< Get stuck in – The more hands on you can be in your role, the more that you’ll learn.
 
< Upskill yourself – There are hundreds of free seminars, white papers and webinars available on the internet for every industry. Make the most of these and spend some time each week upskilling yourself and learning new things that can not only help you to pass your course but help you to achieve amazing results in the workplace too.
 
< Stay organised – Juggling a job and studying can be tough but being organised makes it a lot easier. Stay on top of your course deadlines and you’ll pass with flying colours!”
Click here to read more on National Apprenticeship Week 2017