USUALLY in this column I try to share some useful advice about digital marketing and the odd piece of impactful industry news.
This month I beg your indulgence as I shamelessly use this column to celebrate the success of one of my colleagues. One of our talented apprentices, Ellie Harris, has been awarded Apprentice of the Month by our training partner, Evolve Your Future.
Apprentices, depending on with whom you are speaking, are either to be avoided or embraced. I have to admit there have been a few disappointing times when my opinion has been of the former, but our investment in Ellie is returning dividends. A smart cookie, she has embraced her role with The Last Hurdle as a Digital Marketing Apprentice and has got stuck into a variety of tasks including image editing, content creation, website management and development.
In fact, her hunger to learn is so great she is on course to complete her apprenticeship early.
I am incredibly proud of what Ellie has achieved under the gentle guidance of Emma Pearce, our Office Manager and Maxine Frandsen, Trainer Assessor at Evolve Your Future.
I can certainly understand employers’ reluctance to take on an apprentice, it can be a huge risk. Whether an apprentice or at managerial level, all employees represent your business, your brand and your reputation. The real appeal for me is, apprentices like Ellie and her counterpart Grace Campbell, are like sponges, they soak up every piece of knowledge we impart, apply it and expand upon it. We get to mould them and shape them with our process, practices and work ethics. I fully expect both girls to surpass Emma and me in the next few years.
A special mention must go to Simon Merriman from solved hr, who selects, interviews and continues to support the development of our team. It is thanks to him we are facing 2017 with a talented, ambitious and creative team ready for the next stage of our growth programme.
If you are considering expanding your team for this year then take a serious look at the apprenticeship scheme, like all employees the right ones are hard to find, but when you do, the sky is the limit!
And if you’re really lucky you’ll learn as much from them as they do from you!
