How employers can support apprentices to succeed
Support from my manager and team has been essential to helping me to develop throughout my marketing apprenticeship. I wanted to take this opportunity to share what I’ve found really helpful during my 18 months as an apprentice, with the hope that it can give you some ideas about how you can further support any apprentices in your team.
I fully understand why the most common reason for dropping out of an apprenticeship is a lack of support from your organisation or manager. It can be tricky to balance studying whilst also working within a busy team.
The first thing to consider when it comes to supporting an apprentice is that you will need to give them time off to study – so that they can learn new skills to bring back to the workplace. For example I took the marketing theory knowledge I’m studying to input into the long-term marketing strategy. In my role at Mindful, I use my Friday’s to focus solely on coursework, meeting with my tutor, and logging my ‘off the job training’ for the week. My apprenticeship programme has lots of flexibility which means I can move my ‘study day’ about if there is a particular deadline, or event, which I need to attend on the Friday.
Secondly, regular one-to-one meetings with my line manager have really helped me to track my progress at work. During these meetings, we also plan how I can complete tasks at work which are directly relevant to what I’m studying. This was essential when it came to planning my EPA project, and ensuring that I completed all the tasks needed.
Finally, being given additional training opportunities (outside of my apprenticeship) has made me feel like I was being heard. For example I didn’t have much experience with setting up Google Ads, so I was invited to take part in wider team training on this topic. As a result, I felt motivated to work harder and develop myself further.
Mindful Education has apprentices in different departments throughout the company. This is what they had to say about what employer support they have really valued on their apprenticeship journeys:
“The main thing for me is the group sessions I do with my colleague and my manager. We will go through the upcoming subjects and address challenges we might encounter in different areas.”
“Working with my line manager to identify ways of implementing the skills, knowledge and behaviours I have acquired through my apprenticeship, has really helped my development.”
“During my apprenticeship, my employer supported me by being flexible - If I needed extra study time for exams other than my actual study day, this was always granted.”
To summarise, there is no doubt that employers play a pivotal role in the success of apprenticeships. The continued support of Mindful Education has allowed me and other apprentices to excel and become more established within our roles.
Salka recently completed a marketing apprenticeship with us, she is now a permanent member of the team. She supports with various projects from social media and events, to digital advertising and copywriting.
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