‘Hire an apprentice and invest in the future’, is what the national Apprenticeships website reads – and it is certainly true.
Apprenticeships have changed for the better in recent years, with many industries now tapping into this popular study option which allows a host of talent to gain valuable skills and experience to kickstart their careers.
Just over 18 months ago, Everyone Health employed one of their first apprentices, Jacey Rogers, to join the (at the time) 2-person Marketing department. Now 18 months later, Jacey has successfully completed her apprenticeship with an overall Distinction – awarded by City & Guilds and The Chartered Institute of Marketing. Keep reading below to hear all about Jacey’s apprenticeship journey, from start to finish.
In an effort to build up Everyone Health’s online presence, the Marketing team advertised for a ‘Digital Marketing Apprentice’ and enlisted the help of a local college to support with the recruitment process. From here, they met, interviewed and hired Jacey.
After ultimately deciding sixth form wasn’t the path for her, Jacey began to seek out other options which is where she stumbled upon digital marketing. Being such an early adopter of social media, Jacey practically (self-confessedly) grew up with a phone or iPad glued to her hand. “I had always wanted a career in social media, but it just felt so unattainable”, said Jacey. This was until she discovered all about digital marketing, and realised it was perhaps more possible than she thought.
“Because I wasn’t taking the conventional route of completing my A-Levels and going to university – which is often how many people break out into their careers in marketing, I did feel a little discouraged, but was quickly reminded that apprenticeships were another way to get into the industry.”
So from there on, Jacey was firmly glued to the Government apprenticeships page and post-notifications were set to inform her when a digital marketing apprenticeship near her became available – and at last, one did! “Immediately when I read the job description, I knew it was for me. In a way, I felt like it was fate because it was in a great location for me (I had prepared myself to be commuting hours on end, but this job was just a 10-minute drive away) and it had came up at a time where I was starting to lose faith!”
Her application was sent just days within the job opening becoming available, where she was then offered an interview, and the waiting game was on until interview day came. When said day rolled around, so did the nerves, “although I was no where near as nervous as I thought I would be!”, said Jacey. That same day, Jacey was offered the role, and she hasn’t looked back since!
In divine timing, her new job coincided with the New Year, and immediately she jumped headfirst into the work. As well as juggling college work, Jacey has had the opportunity to explore a variety of different marketing roles and work from engaging with stakeholders through internal and external newsletters (created with email marketing software, Dotdigital), developed an impressive online presence on a number of social media channels, web design and maintenance, video editing, and creating compelling content in imagery, blog and article format, whilst following digital etiquette – having so much fun with each and every task. Her most favourite, you ask? “Definitely copywriting. Writing was always my biggest strength and something I really enjoyed, so I feel very lucky that I get to do it as part of my job.”
Jo Hainge, Jacey’s line manager and Marketing Manager, couldn’t be prouder of Jacey and has said, “For the last 18 months she has juggled college work, completing external exams set by the Chartered Institute of Marketing, re-taken and passed her maths GCSE, built an amazing portfolio and completed all EH work with both diligence and good humour. This is her first ever job and she has done all of this under the backdrop of Covid.”
Thinking of pursuing an apprenticeship? Jacey can certainly attest to it, “being an apprentice has been one of the best experiences of my life. After a confidence knock when my sixth form experience wasn’t quite what I envisioned, my apprenticeship has completely built it back up and provided me with the skills, knowledge and qualifications needed to progress further in the industry I want to work in. I feel so lucky that I’ve found my passion early on, and I truly enjoy work day in day out alongside such a brilliant team – not many people get to say that!”
If you’re wondering what’s next for Jacey, then you’ll be pleased to know she’ll be continuing her career at Everyone Health and is going for Level 4 of The Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Everyone Health will be looking for some new apprentices to bring a fresh perspective to the company very soon. Keep your eyes peeled on our Careers website, the Government Apprenticeships page and our LinkedIn to be the first to know when these become available.
Despite popular misconceptions, there is no upper age limit for apprenticeships. We encourage everyone (over 18) from all backgrounds to apply for an apprenticeship, whether you want to upskill on a new career path or gain further qualifications whilst earning money.