Experience is the key - apprentices talk apprenticeships
In National Apprenticeship Week, Paul Harvey speaks to events apprentices past and present to find out the reality of apprenticeships in the sector.
With the industry facing a skills shortage, how can we unlock untapped potential and bring in a broad pool of talented individuals to the sector?
For a small but slowly increasing number of event businesses, there's a very simple answer to this question: apprenticeships. And with Events Apprenticeships (EA) helping unlock funding and develop recognised routes into the sector, now is the time for eventprofs to embrace everything that event apprenticeships have to offer.
I spoke to event apprentices past and present to find out their experiences of apprenticeships - and why they're so well suited to our sector.
“What's key for the event industry is your experience”, says Sascha Lewis, former apprentice and now senior project manager at DRPG. “Apprenticeships put you in the thick of it, working with different people on different projects to get as much experience as you can.”
Lewis started the event assistant apprenticeship with DRPG in 2017 straight from sixth-form, and five promotions later, is now a senior project manager.
“I could have gone to university and done an event management degree, but I would be in a worse position now, because I'd have gone to university for 3-4 years and then had to start the process from scratch. For me, the apprenticeship route is a much better solution.”
Sascha Lewis, senior project manager, DRPG
Sascha Lewis, senior project manager, DRPG
For Amy Hitchcock, client success manager at Stress Matters, her Level 3 event assistant apprenticeship at the Nuclear Institute was a real game changer.
“Doing an event apprenticeship changed the direction of my career completely, in a way that I never thought it would,” she says. “I went to university for three months doing advertising and marketing because I thought that was what I should be doing, but it just wasn't right for me.”
Amy Hitchcock, client success manager at Stress Matters
Amy Hitchcock, client success manager at Stress Matters
Hitchcock signed up for an apprenticeship through the JGA Group and got taken on as an apprentice by the Nuclear Institute before joining Stress Matters in 2021 - and she's clear about the benefits apprentices can bring to a company.
“Apprentices bring a really high level of enthusiasm and a fresh set of eyes on things,” she says. “Events are sometimes done in a certain way, but apprentices are able to see things from a different perspective and often make things work slightly better.
“Apprenticeships give younger people, or whatever age, a chance to learn, make mistakes, and grow into a role. It's rewarding to be able to put the time and effort into people because you get loyalty at the end of it.”
Drew Stanton, a creative venue technician apprentice at White Light, knew he wanted to follow his dad into the industry – and an apprenticeship was the ideal route.
“To be able to leave school and get into my dream career is brilliant,” he says. “Otherwise I’d have done two years of A-Levels working towards something different and then just come to this anyway when I'm 18. I love it.”
Drew Stanton, creative venue technician apprentice, White Light
Drew Stanton, creative venue technician apprentice, White Light
And Stanton has this advice for those considering the apprenticeship route.
“They're fun, the stuff you learn is invaluable, and the opportunities that come out the other end are first class”, he says. “For anyone thinking about doing an apprenticeship, I would say do your research and just go for it.”
“It's basically the best of both worlds because you've got a job, but you're also getting qualified as well.”
Bruce Slee, facilities management apprentice, Broadsword
Of course, it's important to make sure the apprentice matches the apprenticeship. Charleigh Taylor, an events assistant apprentice at Coventry City Council, did an engineering apprenticeship after leaving school before beginning her current apprenticeship in April 2022.
“I got thrown in at the deep end, we had the Radio 1 Big Weekend only a month after I started,” she says. “I was doing work that I was really passionate about, so the course became a lot easier than I found my engineering one, because it's something that I really wanted to do and I found genuinely interesting.”
And Taylor is now looking at starting another apprenticeship – this time in marketing.
“I'd always say go for an apprenticeship,” she says. “I've done an apprenticeship before and not enjoyed the end job, but still got so much out of it. You're always doing something different. There's so many transferable skills, there's always places you can go with it.”
For many eventprofs, apprenticeships provide practical skills and experience that aren't on offer anywhere else.
Bruce Slee, a facilities management apprentice at Broadsword, initially got a degree in philosophy and politics before finding work as a facilities coordinator at one of the biggest facilities management companies in the country.
“It was good, but they weren't giving me any opportunities to grow,” he says. “When the apprenticeship came along I thought, this is perfect, because I'm going to have more responsibility, more opportunities and I'm going to keep developing what I've been learning. It's always good to have something tangible, something you can put on your CV. The experience is good, but having the qualification too puts that stamp on it.
“It's basically the best of both worlds because you've got a job, but you're also getting qualified as well. Anyone who's thinking of doing apprenticeship. Go and do one. You won't regret it. Simple as that.”
Charleigh Taylor, events assistant apprentice, Coventry City Council
Charleigh Taylor, events assistant apprentice, Coventry City Council
Bruce Slee, facilities and resourcing apprentice, Broadsword
Bruce Slee, facilities and resourcing apprentice, Broadsword
Like Sascha Lewis, Sarah Davitt started as an apprentice at DRPG in 2017, straight from school. Davitt was put on the account for a large supermarket when she first started, solely working on their events.
“I've had such a wonderful journey here from starting off in an apprenticeship, I've had six promotions. Everything is in-house, we get to learn about different areas of the business, that's always been available. At the start of this year I was promoted to a senior project manager.
Sarah Davitt, senior project manager, DRPG
Sarah Davitt, senior project manager, DRPG
“Apprenticeships are definitely the preferred route. Especially for me - I'm 25 now; if you go down that university route, you're not finished until you’re 22 and then you are starting from that level. So I've had a jump start. I've definitely advised people to get into the industry because it is a great place to work. If doing an apprenticeship works for the job role, it's perfect.”
Don't be fooled into thinking that apprenticeships are an easy ride, says Adrian Schoengarth, currently doing a creative venue technician apprenticeship at White Light.
“An apprenticeship is a great opportunity to develop your skills and hone your abilities, but it's not going to happen automatically,” he says. “You have to ask and actively show that you want to learn. People who succeed in apprenticeships generally push themselves within them, you get out what you put in. I still have to do a fair bit of leg work to build up my own contacts.”
Adrian Schoengarth, creative venue technician apprentice, White Light
Adrian Schoengarth, creative venue technician apprentice, White Light
However, if you put the effort in, apprenticeships can pay dividends.
“Apprenticeships give you a bit more of authenticity for what you're doing,” adds Schoengarth. “Knowing that you've got the training and a team behind you that have educated you properly, it's an excellent way of doing it.
“I've worked around people of different skill sets and different paths into the industry, I noticed that the people who have done industry-level apprenticeships are generally highly skilled and have a high knowledge base of how the industry works.
“Going down the route of of a college or university course means you’re book smart, but you're not smart in the sense of the actual implementation. It has its place, but I don't think it's the best way directly into an industry as quickly as possible.”
For Amy Weir, digital marketing executive at Broadsword, the support from her employers has helped her take her apprenticeship experience to new heights. She started out doing a Level 3 marketing apprenticeship and is currently doing a Level 6, which is a degree-level apprenticeship, with London South Bank University.
“Anna (Green, Broadsword MD) has been pushing me out of my comfort zone and I've been getting loads of real-world experience,” she says. “As I learn I get to see how everything applies to real life situations, so the knowledge has really stuck with me.
“I think there's a myth that apprentices get meaningless tasks to do but I've been given a lot of responsibility and as one of the youngest people in the company, I feel like I really have a voice. Really, I don't ever feel like an apprentice, I’m just one of the team.
“I've also had a lot of training within the company; whenever I've mentioned wanting to learn more about events, I've had the chance to attend events, or shadow meetings. As a result of meeting new people and gaining real life experience I am so much more confident.”
For more information on events apprenticeships for both employers and apprentices, visit www.eventsapprenticeships.org
Amy Weir, digital marketing executive, Broadsword
Amy Weir, digital marketing executive, Broadsword
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