Why does Artswork love employing Apprentices?

In the spirit of National Apprenticeship Week 2022, colleagues from across Artswork have taken some time to reflect on the joy and benefits that hiring an apprentice can bring to an organisation.

Read on to see what we have to say…

Anna Brown, Apprenticeship Programme Manager and Trainer:

“Apprenticeships really work for both young people and the employer. They provide the right amount of support, guidance, training and experience for young people to excel in their new career.

Our creative Apprenticeships are unique in the amount of bespoke training and support that we provide to individuals. We are proud that as a centre we have been able to support many neurodivergent young people, and those with additional support needs and mental health issues, to successfully complete their apprenticeship.

I feel humbled to have worked with the brilliant young people who have been an Artswork Apprentice over the last 8 years. Many have gone on to do amazing things in creative and cultural organisations.”

Louise Govier, Chief Executive:

“We love working with apprentices at Artswork. They add such a lot to our team – energy, fresh perspectives and brilliant ideas. It is so great to see them develop as well, growing in confidence and capability to the point where we’re genuinely hoping that we can attract them to permanent positions in the current competitive recruitment market.

People often think that apprenticeships are just in trades like electrical engineering or plumbing, but there are actually many other opportunities, including apprenticeships leading to really interesting jobs in the creative industries. I would very much recommend any organisation to consider both what you could offer to a young person looking to develop through an apprenticeship, and to think about what they could bring to your team and your work.

You won’t regret it!”

Billy Allen, Artsmark and Arts Award Coordinator:

“The most unique thing is the inquisitive nature of apprentices. The honest approach to asking questions and finding out why things are done the way they are. In turn, this makes you question why things are done in a particular manner and puts a different perspective on it. They have a huge impact on an organisation and the teams they work with.”

Abi Barrington, Communications Manager:

“We have had a number of apprentices in the Communications team over the last few years, and I’d definitely recommend it. The enthusiasm and fresh perspective that apprentices bring is fantastic, and I feel like their presence often energises the whole team.

It’s great to see the changes in Apprentices across the apprenticeship period, growing in skills and confidence, and becoming more and more able to make meaningful contributions to the whole organisation. Often I find I learn just as much from the apprentices in my team as they learn from us!”

Lisa Thurbon, Communications Officer:

“Having undertaken two apprenticeships in the past myself, one of which was with Artswork in 2017, I had only really seen the benefits of an apprenticeship from the position of an apprentice.

Since joining Artswork in a full-time position last October, I have had so many wonderful chats with my colleagues around their experiences working with apprentices. It’s so joyful to hear that they value us as much as we do them, supporting and guiding when we need but also being there to help us grow not just professionally, but also within ourselves.

Not only was the training and support towards my future career a highlight, but knowing that I made an impact as an apprentice is super important to me; young people can often feel overlooked in this sense, but remember… the employer wouldn’t be taking you on if they weren’t keen to hear fresh ideas and a youth perspective.

Whether you’re considering hiring an apprentice, or becoming an apprentice, I say go for it and don’t look back!”

You too can give a young person the opportunity to start their career in the arts via an apprenticeship – we’ll support you in identifying new of existing job roles that could be filled by an apprentice receiving high quality training. Click here to find out more.

If you’re interested in becoming an Artswork creative apprentice, our Apprenticeship vacancies will be posted here so please bookmark this page for future updates. All Apprenticeship opportunities are advertised on the Find an Apprenticeship website.

Tags:

Apprenticeships