National Apprenticeship Week is a week-long celebration uniting businesses and apprentices across the country, which "shines a light on the positive impact that apprenticeships make to individuals, businesses and the wider economy".
At Jaywing, our apprentices appreciate the chance to return to their studies while gaining hands-on experience. The flexibility to balance work and learning makes the scheme particularly valuable, allowing employees to build new skills whilst applying them in real-world situations.
We recently caught up with three of our apprentices: Joey Steel – People and Culture Executive, Joni Jones – Media and Marketing Apprentice and Steve Wilson – IT Infrastructure, to hear about their experiences, what they’ve learned, and what motivated them to pursue this opportunity.
What apprenticeship are you currently working on?
Joey: I started my Senior People Professional Higher Apprenticeship in September 2024. The course takes place across 2 years and combines academic study with practical work-based learning, enabling students to apply People and Culture strategies effectively within their organisations.
Joni: I'm doing a Digital Marketing degree apprenticeship at Nottingham Trent. This takes 3-4 years to complete, and is assessed by exams, essays and presentations. The course covers a range of topics including digital marketing strategy, content creation, social media marketing, and data analysis. It combines theoretical learning with practical application, allowing me to develop both my technical skills and creative thinking in the digital marketing space.
Steve: My course is the Cisco CCNA Level 4 Networking Engineer course. It is taken over 18 months, which I can adjust according to my needs and commitments. The course covers topics such as network fundamentals, IP services, security, and automation. My progress is assessed through coursework, including 6-8 practical projects, exams, simulation assessments, and an interview. This structure allows me to apply what I’ve learned in real-world scenarios while gaining the industry-recognised skills needed for network engineering.
What motivated you to take this on?
Joey: Career development – needing the qualification for progress, but also because I wanted the challenge to learn again. The course at Northumbria in particular was so well structured, linked with my progression plan and also my role that it seemed like the obvious choice! I wanted to challenge myself and jumped at the chance to get back into studies again!
Joni: After I finished my A-levels I was determined to get some practical experience in a permanent role, but I felt very conflicted as the majority of my peers were headed off to university. So, when I discovered Jaywing were offering degree apprenticeships I was super excited by this possibility. The prospect of being able to continue my formal education whilst getting on-the-job experience was perfect and I jumped at the opportunity.
Steve: Within IT I’m largely self-taught, but I wanted to enhance my networking skills by learning from the experts. The CCNA is a highly regarded certification, and the apprenticeship offers both the knowledge and practical experience needed to build, secure, and troubleshoot networks. It provides industry-relevant skills, hands-on learning, career growth opportunities, and a valuable, industry recognised qualification that offers job security and advancement potential.
What have you learned so far in your apprenticeship?
Joey: People and Culture is made up of so many things! I’ve really enjoyed learning about the many areas of People and Culture and what they encompass. In particular, I’ve found a great interest and passion in the learning and development area.
Joni: On top of all my new technical marketing knowledge, I have also learnt how to collaborate with a wide range of individuals from an array of different businesses. They themselves have taught me so much and it’s super interesting to see how other businesses operate.
Steve Wilson: A massive amount. The weekly sessions contain a lot of information along with regular exams and practical tests via the virtual environments. I work with latest Cisco technologies and networking protocols, configuring routers, switches, firewalls, and other network devices while learning how to optimise network performance and enhance security.
What have you enjoyed most in your apprenticeship?
Joey: Being back in studies is exciting and I feel like my career development is coming along in leaps and bounds. I’ve met some fantastic and inspiring people on my course.
Joni: Again, I’d have to say I’ve enjoyed meeting new people the most. Not just for the business opportunities and knowledge but also for the friendships I have already made.
Steve: Learning new things. The course is equivalent to a first-year degree, and there’s so much to absorb that I’ve got to be very disciplined with my study time. It’s challenging to fit it all in, but also rewarding, as I feel a sense of accomplishment. In IT we can often feel like we’re just firefighting and don't see tangible outcomes. In this course however, I’m expanding my knowledge and receiving recognition for my efforts through the certification at the end of each exam.
Joey, Joni and Steve’s dedication to both their studies and their work at Jaywing demonstrates the immense value apprenticeships bring to both individuals and businesses. We are excited to continue supporting our apprentices in their personal and professional growth and we look forward to seeing the positive impact they will continue to have at Jaywing – a place where talent thrives and brands grow.