National Apprenticeship Week 2022

This week is National Apprenticeship Week, so we have decided to give you an insider’s scoop on what being an apprentice is really like from TTC’s Eleanor Gibson. Eleanor joined us in May 2021 as a marketing assistant while taking part in a Level 3 digital marketing apprenticeship. Read about her experience below:

Life before Travel Trade Consultancy

When I left the University of Hertfordshire in 2019 with a degree in Tourism Management, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the travel industry. Specifically, in marketing as this was a real interest of mine. Straight out of university, I joined a travel agency as a USA specialist selling holidays to America. Following this, I moved on to a role in customer support at ABTA – The Travel Association a well-known name in the industry. Unfortunately, like many others, I was made redundant due to the pandemic. So, it was back to the drawing board of trying to find a role in travel with the aim of getting into marketing.

Finding a marketing role in the travel industry

In April 2021, I came across the job description from the TTC LinkedIn page advertising for a digital marketing apprentice. Having little marketing experience, this caught my eye as I wanted to expand my knowledge in this area.  I hadn’t been specifically looking for apprenticeships; however, I found that this role suited me and where I wanted my career to go. I was also drawn to the company’s culture and felt it would be a great place to develop my skills. Once I had researched the criteria for the role and apprenticeship, I decided to apply and after interviewing, I was delighted to get the job.

The apprenticeship

There are different training providers out there, but Avado runs the apprenticeship I’m doing. It’s 18 months long, with a mixture of lessons and project work. So far, I’ve completed a beginner and advanced level Google Analytics course, a BCS Level 3 Award in Principles of Coding and Google’s Digital Garage. I’m now halfway through my Google Squared training. This takes up five months of the apprenticeship and includes four individual projects to show understanding of the training we’re going through.

Why an apprenticeship was the right move

The different areas of the course enable me to broaden my knowledge and bring new ideas to the marketing team at TTC. I’ve also found that my role and course complement each other, making it easy to put my learning into practice. A couple of highlights include analysing the marketing stats and understanding what parts are important to monitor, which I’ve found easier thanks to my Google Analytics training. Also, the Google Digital Garage course knowledge helped me understand the importance of different aspects of digital marketing, including reaching your customers.

The learning and project work are completed during work hours, so it’s great to have a flexible team to balance this time with my job’s day-to-day tasks.

Tips for anyone thinking to do an apprenticeship

• Take a look at the different apprenticeship options at Avado and make sure you find the right one to suit you.
• Don’t be afraid to start learning. It’s never too late to develop your knowledge.
• Make sure you ask questions if something doesn’t make sense or if you need more information.
• Make the use of your time and make sure you stay on top of apprenticeship projects and modules while doing your day job.

Taking the apprenticeship and job at TTC was the right move for me to begin my career in marketing and continue to stay in the travel industry. I would recommend an apprenticeship to anybody considering going through one.