Cirencester College has been running the Creative and Digital Media (CDM) Apprenticeship for 6 successful years, in which time they have helped nearly 200 young people in the South West expedite their careers in the industry. This includes me, the writer of this article, as I am currently 3 months in to my own CDM apprenticeship working for TechSPARK.
“We’re fully committed to developing more creative industry opportunities for talented young people”
The scheme has been widely acclaimed, attracting an award from Creative Skillset in 2012 for the strength of employer responsiveness and the use of industry practitioners in training roles.
Learning on the job
If you are interested in creative and digital fields an apprenticeship is the perfect way to enter this line of work. The unique combination of studying and working means you get to directly apply, and therefore solidify, the skills you learn at college in your work. There are many benefits to this, as Andy Freedman, Cirencester’s Creative Industries Apprenticeship Consultant (and my course coordinator, the person who ensures I am getting the best out of my apprenticeship and providing what’s needed for my employer) explains, “Starting a career in media can be challenging.” But, Cirencester seeks to make it more accessible, “We’re fully committed to developing more creative industry opportunities for talented young people who are choosing to join the workforce directly.
“I have learnt an entirely new set of skills… and I continue to develop on these as my industry is constantly evolving”
“We’ve had increasing levels of interest from employers, especially following our involvement in the Vision Conference earlier in the year.”
Students reach soaring heights
More and more apprentices are landing themselves secure roles in creative and digital industries after getting their diplomas. One particularly successful student is Georgia Redman, who won this year’s National Outstanding Apprentice of the Year award in July.
Georgia’s apprenticeship was with BBC Bristol, a position which she excelled in. Georgia surpassed thousands of others to win the prestigious award and set the precedent for young people thinking of doing a CDM apprenticeship.
Billy Clarke was also nominated from Cirencester’s CDM apprenticeship, you can watch this video from Billy explaining how beneficial his course has been.
Rebecca (pictured right) says her apprenticeship brought her continual benefits, “I have learnt an entirely new set of skills, which I never had before and I continue to develop on these as my industry is constantly evolving.” She adds, “Passing my apprenticeship and being offered a full-time contract was definitely a highlight!”
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Rebecca says her apprenticeship brought her continual benefits, “I have learnt an entirely new set of skills, which I never had before and I continue to develop on these as my industry is constantly evolving.” She adds, “Passing my apprenticeship and being offered a full-time contract was definitely a highlight!”
The apprenticeship option is becoming increasingly popular, and even if it doesn’t result in a job with the same company you worked for, it is still an extremely worthwhile experience. The creative and digital media sectors are constantly expanding and for young people seek careers this can seem very daunting. The apprenticeship provides a non-pressuring route into the industries, training those who have little to no prior knowledge or experience. No one should be put off if they’ve never used a DSLR camera before or don’t know how to use WordPress – everyone’s there to learn!
A personal view
Speaking as someone who is currently doing the apprenticeship, I too thoroughly recommend the way the the course is run. At college I have been given the opportunities to discover and explore a multitude of topics, from how to create an animation to making the most of social media. Being able to work on a real digital publication alongside this means I’m putting most of what I learn to productive use and, personally, I find it refreshing producing tangible results from this that myself and others can enjoy, rather than a graded exam paper.
What I learn at work and college are things I never had the chance to at school and it’s opened a lot of new doors for me. I’d really recommend you to take the plunge if you’re even as much as considering doing a CDM apprenticeship.
You can start your Creative and Digital Media apprenticeship with Cirencester college now! Read more about the apprenticeship from Cirencester College’s website. And, of course, if you are an employer looking to hire an apprentice – get in touch – they”ll be keen to hear from you. You can also give them a follow on Twitter: @cirencoll
