Emma’s apprenticeship journey
Emma is an Event and Culture Apprentice at Rushmoor Borough Council, and is nearing the end of her apprenticeship. We gained valuable insights into her amazing journey over the past 15 months. From successfully navigating major events to developing a robust skill set, Emma’s experience reflects the dynamic and enriching nature of her apprenticeship with Rushmoor Borough Council. Let’s hear directly from Emma about her growth, achievements, and future aspirations.
Overview In the past 15 months, I have grown so much as a person, met so many amazing people, and had opportunity after opportunity to get involved with some really exciting projects. I’ve had the chance to attend a mayoral banquet, tour a mid-century centrifuge (which was like something straight out of a bond movie), and get out into the community where I can make a difference. When I started my apprenticeship in October of 2022, we had just one month before two of the biggest events of the year and I was immediately put to work managing social media promotion, sorting through stallholder applications, and handling enquiries over email. This baptism by fire meant that I picked up skills rapidly in the first few months of my apprenticeship and quickly learned how things worked at Rushmoor Borough Council.
In the first 6 months of my apprenticeship, I worked on two Halloween events, the launch of a community photography project, a private art exhibition celebrating Black History Month, and two large Christmas events in the town centres. As well as working on these, I attended the VIP opening event of a local restaurant and the Mayor’s Banquet. I also gained both a First Aid at Work certification and a Paediatric First Aid certification during this time. This experience alone gave me a wealth of new skills, but I then went on to manage the largest event of the year without the support of the Events Manager, juggling the project management of both the Victoria Day and Armed Forces Day events in April. I was responsible for the promotion of the events as well as key administrative tasks such as obtaining supplier health and safety documents, handling job applications for event staff roles, booking first aid coverage, attending project meetings, and producing invoices. Since then, I have been honing my skills in graphic design and social media management, furthering my knowledge of topics such as copywriting, social media algorithms, and search engine optimisation. I can’t wait to make the next steps in my career and I’m certain that this apprenticeship has set me up for success.
Going Forward Going forward, I would love to work in the creative and cultural industry, particularly in non-profit and community focused organisations. Based on the skills I’ve developed through my apprenticeship, a job in marketing, learning and engagement, or event management would be well suited. If I had not had this apprenticeship opportunity, I wouldn’t have the confidence or the know-how to go after my dream career; I would likely still be working in retail or food service. I have always wanted to work in a museum or gallery as a curator and still do, but I had tucked those dreams away after having to leave Sixth Form during COVID due to ill health. I’m truly grateful to everyone who has supported me these past 15 months and I now have so many opportunities open to me because of the experience and skills I gained through my apprenticeship.
We congratulate Emma on her achievements and growth over the past 15 months as an apprentice. We are confident that the foundation that has been laid during her apprenticeship will propel her towards fulfilling career.