At Mackman, we are keen supporters of the Apprenticeship scheme and helping to give young people work experience in a professional marketing environment. We like to challenge our apprentices and provide them with opportunities to find their niche. We have also welcomed four new interns through the Kickstart Programme at the end of March. National Apprenticeship Week this year takes place from the 8th – 14th February, and we thought we’d take this opportunity to put a spotlight on our newest apprentice.
Team profile: Oliver Mackman
Ollie has joined us as an apprentice from Cambridge Marketing College. His study programme is made up of blended learning, with online materials and regular check-in meetings with his tutor. Some of his modules include Marketing Theories, Concepts and Basic Principles, Communications in Practice, and Digital Fundamentals. We spoke to Ollie to see how he’s getting on so far in his role as an Apprentice Marketing Assistant.
What’s it like on the apprenticeship programme at Cambridge Marketing College?
It’s definitely the next stage up in independence and responsibility from school, but it’s a nice step. It’s great because obviously my college is pretty good at what they teach, so it’s useful having the support of my tutor and the behaviour support manager. It’s also quite nice how everything I need to learn is online. I don’t have to do any Zoom calls or anything like that, it’s just logging into the website and there you go.
What’s the best thing about being an apprentice?
I would say one of the things is getting paid to work! But definitely the fact that I can do a mixture of things. Like at school, if it was a Wednesday and my week wasn’t going very well, then I can’t do anything different to take my mind off it. Whereas if I’m having a stressful week at work, I’ve got college at the end of the week, and if I’ve got difficult college work then I’ve got work on Monday, so it’s a nice contrast.
You’ve been around Mackman for your whole life, but what’s it like being part of the business?
It’s nice to see what goes into it. I knew my parents worked hard but I didn’t realise they worked that hard! It’s been really good, especially with Mackman being a family firm, to take away the nervousness of first joining and settling in as I knew some of the staff already.
What’s your favourite part about being an apprentice so far?
I really enjoy answering the phone, I don’t know why, I think because it’s sociable! I’m really involved with the communications department, so I help with any research, social media, and sometimes client communications.
How do you think the apprenticeship will help you in the future?
I think it will set me up for the future because the apprenticeship covers not just marketing, but business in general. When I eventually move on from Mackman, I think it will help me out in a wide range of companies. For example, marketing has all sorts of aspects like digital marketing and content marketing, so I’m able to get a lot of experience in different areas that will help when I’m looking for jobs in the future.
Apprenticeship resources
For more information about the Marketing Assistant apprenticeship during National Apprenticeship Week and beyond, visit the Cambridge Marketing College website. In addition, the following resources provide more details for both individuals and employers interested in the apprenticeship scheme.