LEICESTER MARKETING APPRENTICE ZOOMS TO SUCCESS IN LOCKDOWN

Caption: Picture of Alex Louise Jones NWSLC

An events apprentice from Leicester has overcome the impact of the coronavirus lockdown by turning her hand to becoming an expert in online and digital experiences. Alex-Louise Jones from Broughton Astley successfully completed her apprenticeship with flying colours after taking over the running of virtual open events, Facebook Live sessions, and a digital showcase for National Apprenticeship Week in her role within the Marketing team at North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College (NWSLC).

Alex-Louise, an alumnus from the college’s creative media course where she studied for two years at its Wigston Campus, spotted the apprenticeship role online just after she qualified in 2019. She joined the college marketing team and was focused from the outset on delivering exciting events for pupils in Year 11 at schools across the region. She has honed her digital skills during lockdown and become ‘the face of NWSLC’ as part of the college’s schools’ liaison programme aimed at showcasing career opportunities for young people.

Helping to run open events, as well as with the college’s involvement in WorldSkills UK LIVE at the NEC, Alex-Louise also enjoyed the unique experience of working at the college’s annual 2020 Celebration of Achievement event while being invited up on stage during the evening to accept an award as digital technology Student of the Year.

Alex-Louise said, “Working with the marketing team at NWSLC has been a rollercoaster and I am very proud of everything that I have learned over the past 16 months. When the college devised and delivered its first-ever virtual open event within six weeks of the first lockdown, I followed every move, and by October, I had taken on responsibility for planning, organising, and managing a similar event myself.

“During the events, I am on hand via live chat to help prospective students get a feel for college life. I have also taken on running Facebook Live sessions and have become well known for my vlogs on the latest campus news. I started out by learning how to run physical events and have completed my apprenticeship with a whole set of new online and digital skills.”

Alex-Louise is an avid football fan having played for girls’ team Cosby Foxes between the ages of 11 and 16. She is a Leicester City FC season ticket holder and has sorely missed live matches during lockdown.

Having successfully completed her qualification with a distinction grade, Alex-Louise is set to remain within the marketing team as a digital marketing and events co-ordinator.

Anita Ladva-Cheung, Marketing and Communications Manager for NWSLC said, “I am very proud of Alex-Louise who has worked so hard over the last year and coped really well with the abrupt change to remote working. Despite not seeing anyone physically during that time, she has adapted really well to engaging with young people online and is the perfect ambassador for prospective students.

“We have definitely benefited from employing an apprentice within the marketing team and have already recruited a replacement for Alex-Louise now that she has been promoted. Apprenticeships bring enormous benefits to businesses across our communities, and we would encourage any Leicester or Leicestershire employers who are interested in finding out more to talk to our apprenticeship team and find out how we can help them to identify skills gaps, recruit the right apprentices and grow their own talent.”

 

Apprenticeship fact file

 As part of their programme, an apprentice must:

  • Work with experienced staff
  • Learn job-specific skills
  • Be paid at least the national minimum wage for apprentices of £4.30 per hour (from April 2021).

Apprentices are required to spend 20% of their annual working hours on off the job training; this can include a mixture of:

  • Theory work including classroom sessions, role-play, online learning, simulation exercises or manufacturer training
  • Practical training such as shadowing, mentoring, industry visits or competitions
  • Support and time for writing assignments.

For more information, visit the NWSLC website or call 0330 058 3000.

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