Around 12 months ago I was writing about my first day at work as I looked forward to welcoming our first social media apprentice. A year later and a lot of words, work and fun later she graduated from her apprenticeship. Today was her graduation from the Juice Academy alongside her intake who were all looking for that first step on the career ladder.
It was great to see how far they had all come in 12 months but also that they are already onto their next career move. For those of us who have been in the world of work for quite a few years it is easy to forget how difficult and daunting it is to make that step into your chosen career. Nowadays it seems even harder for the young people to break into work particularly when they want to avoid the huge cost of going to university.
Apprenticeships seem like a buzz word for the Government and other ‘powers that be’ which may be a turn off for many people. My experience from the past year has been positive and as well as us having a young person on the team she has been able to gain valuable experience. It is very easy to think about recruiting someone with a proven track record. When you take an apprentice all you have is their personality and their enthusiasm which means looking at an interview in a whole new way.
The graduation today was a great occasion when the whole team could feel that they had been able to contribute to the future of one young person. I only wish we could help even more young people to take that first step towards their chosen career. All organisations, particularly those large companies, should ensure that they are providing those opportunities for young people. It is time we all reflected on our own first days at work and those people who helped us to get a foot in the door. They are people we never forget and have a lot to thank for. For me this is thanks to Malcolm for allowing me to do my first journalism work experience and Shirley my first editor.
I hope that we can all be remembered as that person who helped a young person to reach their goal and fulfil their potential.
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