Meet Lyle who is an Employability and Student Engagement Coordinator in the School of European Culture and Languages (SECL) at the University of Kent, and is currently undertaking the Level 3 Digital Marketer Apprenticeship.
Loretta Izod, Employee Apprenticeship Manager at Kent, asked Lyle to talk about the experience of undertaking an Apprenticeship and how it supports career and self development.
How did your career pathway bring you to the University of Kent, what is your position here and how long have you worked here?
My position is the Employability and Student Communications coordinator at the School of European Culture and Languages (SECL), University of Kent. I studied English Literature at the University of Kent, and developed an interest in digital marketing and communication when I wanted to combine my written communication abilities with another skill. After a few years of work experience in this field as a Social Media Manager, I returned to the University of Kent after pursuing this position. I felt I would be right for the position, as I was already familiar with the University and had done two SECL modules myself when studying for my English degree.
How did you find out about this Apprenticeship?
I found out about this Apprenticeship at the Humanities Employability Special Interest Group (a meeting between all members of the Humanities Employability departments). I am hoping to pursue a long-term career in the field of digital marketing, and thought that the description for this course sounded like a perfect way to boost my skill set. I was very keen to book a place on the course asap.
Which Apprenticeship are you under taking and which training provider is supporting you?
I am currently undertaking the Digital Marketing Apprenticeship, with Arch Apprenticeships who is a national training provider, who come to us here at Canterbury as I am one of ten employees here currently doing this Apprenticeship.
Why have you decided to use an Apprenticeship to support your self and career development?
I am interested in pursuing a further career in the field of digital marketing, but I wanted to be able to enhance my skill set while still being able to focus on my current role and job. This apprenticeship gave me the perfect opportunity to do this.
Can you explain how your Apprenticeship works, eg what sort of training do you do? Who is your mentor?
My Apprenticeship is mainly based around ‘On the job’ training. This basically means setting aside about an hour of time a day to learn new skills from online modules that relate to my course. These skills are taught via online seminar platforms like Dot Native and Google Digital Garage. I am also required to handle and upload evidence of my progress and how I have applied these skills in the workplace. I am also required to upload examples of portfolio work that I have done. Every month, I catch up with my learning & development coach to discuss my progress.
What aspects of an Apprenticeship first caught you attention?
The first aspect that caught my attention was that it would include modules on ‘the Basics of Coding’. This is an area I have always had an interest in, but want to explore in more detail. I also liked the fact that I would be able to further my current marketing skills in an environment that also allows me to focus on my current job.
How did you find the relevant information you needed to decide if an Apprenticeship was for you?
This was thanks to Loretta Izod, from the Learning & Development office, who received my details from the humanities SIG, and then contacted me and give me the relevant details for applying for funding and starting the Apprenticeship.
If you would you like to know more about Apprenticeship and undertake one like Lyle, please contact Loretta Izod, your Employee Apprenticeship Manager
Ext 16568 or email – L.J.Izod@kent.ac.uk or Click here to visit the Kent Apprenticeships web page
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