Make an impact with apprenticeships

Here at Bigtank, apprenticeships have been the foundation for our development as an organisation, enabling us to grow our workforce with talented, enthusiastic and driven staff. Over the past week we have been reflecting on our experience with apprenticeships and how for us as a company and for the apprentices themselves, it’s been a wholly positive experience.

From a business point of view, there are many benefits to rolling out an apprenticeship programme:

It is a structured training programme, approved by the government that provides a living wage, accessibility, support, responsibility, nationally recognised qualifications including degrees. They offer the learning that an academic institution can provide combined with the life and social skills and industry specific training that the workplace presents, getting your new staff ready for the world of working with you. An obvious one perhaps but it helps the business grow, taking on an apprentice increases your capabilities, productivity and therefore your growth as a company and at the end of the apprenticeship, you have an individual who likely believes in what you and your company stand for and is ideally suited to become a permanent member of your team.

We’ve had 3 of our staff come to us through training and apprenticeship schemes and we are proud that they all are still with us, having been taken on in a full-time role once their apprenticeship ended. Our most recent addition, Laurence, is with us from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) and is learning all aspects of the industry by being able to work on filming locations, in the studio and developing post-production skills with edit and motion graphics. His studies at UCLAN towards Digital Marketing not only develop his knowledge and understanding of our sector but also add value to the work we produce and the service we provide to our clients. All of this just goes to show today's apprentices are no longer just making the tea, they are making impact.

‘In my first year I’ve learned not only valuable film-making skills but I’ve become embedded within the company and have been able to flourish. The technical skills I have picked up have been invaluable but I think where I have benefited the most and where other apprentices will benefit from learning in a workplace is I have learned the softer skills such as how to engage with colleagues and clients, developing communication and all important listening skills. On top of all that I am being paid to do what I love, earning a salary aswell as studying towards a degree without and tuition fees’ - Laurence Grey, Production Apprentice

If you are an employer and want to learn about our experience of Apprenticeships, a parent and want to ask about the support and qualifications that can be offered to your child or a young person looking at which path to choose, get in touch – we would be happy to chat with you about why we love Apprenticeships.

For more information on this and other media topics visit our Vlog page at: https://www.bigtank.co.uk/vlog