Apprenticeships UK

Level 6 Social Worker Degree Apprenticeship

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With a growth in the care and social work industry since the start of the pandemic, employers are finding new and innovative ways to recruit an experienced, diverse and well trained workforce. There has been a huge demand for young people to get on this particular career path and excel through apprenticeship programs. This blog will explain how degree apprenticeships are a new and emerging trend that young people may want to consider.

The Rising Demand and Why Now?

It’s no surprise that there has been a growth in the social work field ever since the start of the Covid-19 Pandemic. Now more than ever, the welfare of citizens need to be tended too as there seems to be an increase in social issues ranging from domestic violence, crime and deviance and the increase in poverty.

With the issues at hand, it also raises the point that there is a demand for a growing workforce. From this realisation for more workers and professionals in the field, it gives young people great opportunities to be on the career path of social work. There are great initiatives in place also as Social Work England and other social work institutes across the UK aim to highlight. Factors such as equality, diversity and inclusion are all valid reasons for young people who have an interest in the field of social work to be involved.

the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion are central to our work as an effective regulator and employer. 

Social Work England

There is definitely a huge demand for new types of people in the profession and that explains why there is a rise in social work apprenticeships. With more young people rejecting the traditional route of attending university to be successful, there seems to be more individuals that are suited to the ‘earn as you learn’ model of education. The social work sector facilitates this with a wide range of apprenticeship opportunities including the Level 6 Social Work Degree Apprenticeship which still gives people the opportunity to graduate and be an expert in the field all whilst receiving a salary for the entirety of your degree.

Sounds good right?

Jobs and Entry Criteria

The social work degree apprenticeship provides opportunities for an apprentice to learn the skills required to perform typical roles in the industry. There are always employment opportunities within social work with the following sectors:

  • local authorities – e.g. social services, councils and boroughs
  • the NHS – e.g. hospitals, mental health trusts, community based settings
  • charity and voluntary organisations – such as Age Concern, Barnardo’s etc
  • residential and non-residential care organisations
  • HM Prison and Probation Service
  • private or independent organisations
  • schools, colleges and universities

Salaries tend to be healthy also ranging from £24,000 to £30,000 a year as a newly qualified social worker and averagely £40,000+ within senior roles depending on local authorities and location. It’s definitely needless to say that a healthy and strong foundation can be established with a level 6 social work degree apprenticeship giving you a great foot forward as you progress and excel in the profession.

The entry requirements for a level 6 social work degree apprentice consist typically of 5 or more GCSEs and a minimum qualification of entry level 3 maths and english. Some employers usually also require 3 or more A-levels or BTECs for qualification, but most qualifications needed are very much attainable for young people.

Key Responsibilities of a Level 6 Social Work Degree Apprentice

As a Social Worker you’ll closely work in collaboration with adults, children, carers and families in a range of different settings to support and promote positive change in people’s lives in order to improve their wellbeing and independence. As a result of this you’ll have to use your professional judgement and build relationships with a variety of individuals and communities, as well as with a wide range of other professionals and agencies. You’re expected to protect individuals from harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation.

Therefore, you’d have to work in a way that is compassionate and empathetic taking account of all aspects of the individual’s life and ensuring their voice is central to decision making.

Content for Adult Care Worker blog

Core Competencies

As part of your Job role, you’re also expected to complete a number of objectives and competencies throughout your apprenticeship. These include:

  • Understanding of professional values and ethics
  • Collaboration of people who use services, carers, their families and communities
  • Evidence-based decision making and analysis
  • Personal and professional development
  • Safe professional practice and safeguarding
  • Reporting and recordings of applicable legislation, protocols and guidelines
  • Following the Social Work England Standards of Conduct protocol

Degree Modules and Topics

Topics and modules vary depending on employers and training providers but all social worker degree apprentices are expected to learn and advance in knowledge utilising the following themes as an example:

  • Introduction to social work
  • Social problems and social policy
  • Understanding society: Britain in global context
  • Social policy, welfare and the state
  • Readiness for direct social work practice
  • Social work practice case study
  • Mental health social work
  • Social work with children and families
  • Social work with adults

Conclusion

The information provided from this blog should confirm to young people and make them feel confident that a pursuit in a degree apprenticeship is achievable and a great opportunity. With the rise in social issues since the start of the pandemic, it’s also a great time for an equal, diverse and included workforce to improve and maintain the industry. This opportunity as an alternative to the traditional route of university gives people a great incentive as they are paid to learn all whilst acquiring new skills in the profession.

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5 Free Email Marketing Tools to Create Effective Campaigns in 2022

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Three emails in a Gmail Workspace inbox

Contrary to what many may think, email marketing isn’t dead. In fact, the average order value of an email is three times higher than that of social media. It is thus no wonder that email marketing remains one of the specialisms listed in the digital marketing apprenticeship standard. Use these best email marketing tools and software to develop effective email marketing campaigns.

  1. Best Email Service Provider (ESP) | Mailchimp
  2. Best Email Template Builder | Stripo
  3. Best for Email Marketing Analysis | Google Analytics
  4. Best Email Copywriting Tool | Grammarly
  5. Best for Email Compression | Compress JPEG

Best Email Service Provider (ESP) | Mailchimp

Let’s start with the most essential: email service providers. ESPs allow you to send email campaigns to a list of subscribers using email software. Mailchimp is a great free one because you can split your subscribers up into groups and segments. This means you can send targeted emails improving click-through rates and conversions. In 2022, personalisation continues to be an important part of email marketing strategies, and email automation is a great way to achieve this. Email automation is available on Mailchimp and can be used to create effective drip marketing campaigns, ensuring you send the right message at the right moment to the right people. Other ESPs you could look at are Zoho Campaigns, which is free with up to 6,000 emails per month to 2,000 contacts, and Klaviyo, which is also free with up to 500 emails to up to 250 contacts.

Cost: Mailchimp Free includes up to 2,000 contacts, with 10,000 sends per month and a daily limit of 2,000.

Digital marketing apprenticeship standard: Technologies, implementation, specialist areas (email marketing), digital tools

A person planning their email workflow strategy on a whiteboard for abandoned cart emails
Email automation workflows can be directly created in Mailchimp

Best Email Template Builder | Stripo

Most ESPs provide a host of free email marketing templates, but they are usually basic newsletter designs. Stripo utilises drag-and-drop content modules to help you create HTML email templates, and is one of my personal favourites as you can set the branding for headings and other design elements. Additionally, each content block can be optimised for mobile. Using Stripo you can create beautiful email mock-ups and reuse the templates. Sections of your email templates can also be saved as modules, which can be dragged into new designs. Altogether, Stripo guarantees brand consistency across your email campaigns.

Cost: The free version of Stripo allows you to create two email templates and export 4 emails to ESPs per month

Digital marketing apprenticeship standard: Technologies, specialist area, digital tools

Best Email Marketing Analysis | Google Analytics

ESPs are great sources to collect email metrics, such as open rates, click-through rates and email deliverability. But, once a user clicks on a link and leaves their email inbox, ESPs can no longer track their behaviour. This is where Google Analytics comes in. Using UTM tracking parameters, Google Analytics can track where users came from, how long they spend on a page and whether they ended up completing a goal. As a result, digital marketers can calculate their return on investment for their email marketing strategy.

Cost: Google Analytics is free for small and medium-sized businesses

Digital marketing apprenticeship standard: Data, analysis, digital tools, digital analytics

Best Email Copywriting Tool | Grammarly

Have you ever sent an email and then realised there’s a typo? It can happen, but unfortunately, it could make your brand look unprofessional. While email best practice is to write copy in Google Docs or a Word Document, this can often be time-consuming. These word processors do not analyse the text for the tone of voice either. Grammarly is a writing assistant that does not only review your spelling but also your grammar, inflexion, and clarity of the sentences. The best features are Grammarly’s plug-ins that can be used in apps, word processors and, you guessed it, email clients. This ensures you can write easily readable and typo-free email campaigns even when time is of the essence.

Cost: Grammarly free checks for spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Digital marketing apprenticeship standard: Written communication, technologies

Best for Email Compression | Compress JPEG

If you have used an ESP before, you may have noticed a warning comes up when you try to import an image that is too big. The reason ESPs have these pop-ups is that emails over 3MB in size risk being flagged as spam. One way to reduce an email’s size is to compress the photos in it. Compress JPEG makes it easy to import or drop the files into its compressor. After the software compresses the file, you can download the minimised version. Any files uploaded on Compress JPEG are deleted after one hour because security and privacy are key to the operations of most businesses. You can also adjust the quality, and in turn the file size, manually. In addition to JPEGs, PNGs, GIFs and PDF files can also be compressed by clicking on the appropriate tab on the website.

Cost: Compress JPEG and its sister sites are free to use with unlimited file compressions

Digital marketing apprenticeship standard: Problem-solving, digital tools, interprets and follows

Screenshots of where you can upload the file, adjust the quality and download the minimised file format on Compress JPEG
On Compress JPEG, you can upload a file, adjust the quality and then download the minimised version.

Creating Effective Email Marketing Campaigns

As a digital marketer, it is important to understand the wide range of tools at your disposal. Using various email marketing tools will bring you one step closer to building and implementing a great email campaign that is sure to impress your line manager and EPA organisation.

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Adult Care Worker Apprenticeship – Level 2

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Adult Care Worker supporting woman in wheelchair

Begin your career by choosing an adult care worker apprenticeship. The role entails providing frontline care for vulnerable adults within their own homes, day-care centres, residential, and nursing homes.

This 18-month course is one of the best apprenticeships in the UK for people with a passion for helping others. Develop your professional skills in addition to making a positive difference to someone’s life. Enhance your understanding of individuals that face physical, practical, social, emotional or intellectual challenges.

Entry requirements for the Level 2 Adult Care Worker Apprenticeship

Employers of this apprenticeship find it desirable that a candidate has completed a level 1 in Maths and English (equivalent to GCSE Grade C or above). Nevertheless for those apprentices who are yet to achieve these qualifications they will have an opportunity to do so. Apprentices will also need to take the test for level 2 Maths and English prior to EPA (End-Point Assessment).

For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement the apprenticeships English and maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3. British Sign Language qualification are an alternative to English qualifications for whom this is their primary language.

Key responsibilities of an adult care worker

An adult key worker must know the responsibilities of the job role relevant to the context of the service. Examples could include:

  • Supporting individuals with social activities, assisting with eating and mobility.
  • Monitoring health levels and being able to identify, respond to and escalate changes to physical, social and emotional needs of individuals.
  • Accessing, following and being compliant with regulations, organisational policies, and procedures.
  • Knowing what the ‘duty of care’ is in practice.
  • Contributing towards the creation of a care plan concentrating on the individuals’ preferences in regard to the way they want to be supported.
  • Knowing the importance of communication, furthermore being aware how that can affect the relationship with the individuals they are supporting.
  • Supporting individuals to remain safe from harm.
Adult Care Worker supporting elderly woman

Personal attributes of an adult care worker

Behaviours and personal attributes expected of all adult care works carrying out their roles consist of the 6 C’s:

  • Care – consistent care is crucial to making a positive difference to individuals’ lives.
  • Compassion – it is essential to deliver care and support with kindness, consideration, dignity, and respect.
  • Courage – always doing the right thing and escalating issues if the individual they support is at risk.
  • Communication – good communication is principal to successful caring relationships and effective team working.
  • Competence – applying skills and knowledge learnt through apprenticeship training to supply high quality care and support.
  • Commitment – to improving the experience of people who need care, supporting them to achieve control and choice in their lives.

Qualifications received at the end of the apprenticeship

Upon completion of the apprenticeship, trainees will receive a nationally recognised Level 2 Diploma in Care. Earning this qualification will allow individuals to apply for further apprenticeships in care such as Lead Adult Care Worker courses and Leader in Adult Care courses.

In conclusion…

If your passion is caring for others or you have a particular interest in health and well-being, the Level 2 Adult Care Worker course is an excellent starting point. The experience coupled with off the job training are perfect for individuals who want to pursue employment in job roles such as care assistant, residential and domiciliary care, health care assistant, or support worker.

So, if the above information interests you, kick start your career in care and apply to an Adult Care Worker Apprenticeship near you!

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Want to find out more other apprenticeships? Feel free to explore our other articles here.

Images credit to Unsplash and Pexels

Young People and Families Practitioner (Level 4 Apprenticeship)

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Young People and Families Practitioner

Do you have a passion for caring? If so, this Practitioner Apprenticeship could be perfect. You will work with children and young people while learning from experienced professionals! 

The two pathways for this apprenticeship consist of community and residential options. The contents depend on which one you take, so be sure to check out their differences. 

Apprenticeship Details

Duration: Typically 24 months for new entrants. For those with relevant qualifications and experience in the health and social care field, 12 to 18 months. 

Level: 4

Entry Requirements – Undertake the Disclosure and Barring Service process and provide the result

Qualifications: Level 2 English and Maths

Option 1. Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare

Option 2. Certificate in Higher Education in working with Children Young People and Families

Key Behaviours and Values Expected of a Level 4 Children, Young People and Family Practitioner

Care: Respecting and valuing individuals to keep them safe, being affirming and working with them to help them make a positive difference to their lives. 

Compassion: Consideration and concern for children, young people and their families, combined with an understanding of the perspective of those you work with.

Courage: Honesty and a positive belief in helping children, young people and families. Being confident when faced with confrontation, holding a safe space to manage and contain really difficult behaviours and working with children, young people and families to challenge and enable them to fulfil their potential 

Communication: Your work is based on building effective relationships, being perceptive and empathic and building good rapport Competence: The relationships you build to effect change for children, young people and families will be informed by social care ethics and values and will be developed through reflective practice. 

Commitment: Creating sustainable change in others by working alongside children, young people and families and being authentic, consistent, patient, persistent and resilient.

What Core Knowledge Is Required For This Apprenticeship? 

Knowledge and understanding of:

  • Communication that enables the voice of the child, young person or family members to be heard
  • Equality, rights, diversity and cultural differences, and the values of the organisation in which you are working. 
  • The range of potential safeguarding risk factors (e.g. domestic violence, membership of gangs, missing children)
  • Child, adolescent and adult development
  • The duties, responsibilities, boundaries and ethical nature of the role
  • Systems and policy frameworks for work with children, young people and families. e.g. education, health, care, employment, criminal justice, special educational needs and disabilities, first aid, safeguarding.
Young People and Families Practitioner (Level 4 Apprenticeship)

What Are The Apprenticeship Options? 

OPTION 1: Practitioner in Children’s Residential Care

You could be working in a number of settings. For example, a children’s home or a residential special school. You will be the lead in developing and delivering a child’s placement plan that ensures their health, education as well as social needs are met. You play an important role throughout this process by helping them thrive to fulfil potential.

OPTION 2: Children, Young People and Families Practitioner within the Community

You could work in a number of settings. For example family homes, youth centres, children’s centres or educational settings. You will be an expert in early intervention and safeguarding work. You’ll understand how important it is to take preventative measures with children, young people or families who need your help! You will be helping children, young people and families to overcome barriers. Your support is crucial in enabling them to achieve their full potential!

Conclusion

As you can see, the level 4 Children, Young People and Families Practitioner is an excellent option for anyone looking to pursue a career in care. The core skills covered in the apprenticeship will open up a wide range of job opportunities. In addition, you will earn while you learn and there are excellent progression opportunities to advance your learning in the future. Some examples are the Healthcare assistant practitioner (level 5 apprenticeship). Employers are keen to use apprenticeship to shape how their employees learn and progress. 

If you would like to learn more about this apprenticeship or to apply, get in touch with us today.

UTM Tracking Parameters | Digital Marketing Apprenticeship Tips

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Digital Marketing Apprenticeship Tips | How to Use UTM Parameters

UTM tracking parameters are essential for digital marketing apprenticeships. By adding UTM codes to your links, you can track how users are interacting with your content. This data helps you fine-tune your campaigns to make sure your efforts are paying off. In this guide, we’ll explain what a UTM tracking parameter is and where you can use them to improve your marketing strategy. Let’s get started!

An Introduction To Using UTM Tracking Parameters In Your Apprenticeship

UTM tracking gives you a level of accuracy and detail for tracking your traffic. You can track traffic from multiple sources and display the results in Google’s free and familiar Google Analytics dashboard. More importantly, this is a great way to demonstrate your ability when it comes to showcasing the analytics aspect of your digital marketing apprenticeship. 

Set up UTM’s right and you can see how much traffic comes from a specific tweet, or from a specific image in a particular email. From monitoring entire campaigns to A/B testing changes in imagery, placement and copy, UTM tracking provides the depth of detail you need to hit those digital marketing apprenticeship requirements. 

What Is A UTM Parameter?

UTM parameters allow you to track where traffic comes from and how it reaches your site. This is helpful for analysing keywords, conversion rates of ads on different pages in google analytics or even just getting an idea about who’s visiting!

Google will track traffic with cookies – but UTMs allow you to overwrite standard Google tracking with your own, custom tracking, tailored with parameters that exactly fit your needs. Tag your URLs with UTMs and Google will tell you where your traffic came from, which campaign it’s a part of and the route it took to reach you, as well as information about exactly where on a screen your visitors clicked and which keywords are effective.

Digital Marketing Apprenticeship Tips | How to Use UTM Parameters

When To Use UTM Codes During Your Digital Marketing Apprenticeship?

Social

By adding UTM parameters to your social media campaigns you can measure how successful each post was. This can be done by analysing which links created the most click-through traffic to your site in Google Analytics. 

Emails

In emails, you can attach UTM parameters to images or hyperlinked text to track different click-through metrics. As a result of adding UTM parameters, you can measure whether people click the link at the top more than the one included at the bottom of the email, or vice-versa. 

Advertisements

UTMs make it easy to keep a close eye on PPC advertising. This is due to the ability to distinguish between the performance of sidebars and banners, A/B test designs or graphics. 

Anything that involves someone clicking on a link can be tracked with UTMs. For example, print ads can include UTM tracking in the form of QR codes. This analytics data is great for tracking response rates!

The Don’ts of Using UTM Tracking Parameters In Your Apprenticeship

The one place you really don’t want to use UTMs is internal tracking. Every time a link containing an UTM parameter gets clicked, Google flags this visit as new. Therefore, if someone navigates around a few pages on your site using UTM URLs, you can see them in your analytics as multiple, new visitors. The UTMs will also override the original referral data so you’ll still be none the wiser as to the real source of your traffic.

Summing Up UTM Tracking

In conclusion, UTM parameters give you the best of both worlds with their excellent granularity and ability to be utilised across channels. Above all, you have control over how it is logged, which makes reporting on your campaigns easier than ever before! It’s something every digital marketing apprentice should be doing!

Recruitment Consultant Apprenticeship (Level 3) – Match Candidates With Their Dream Job

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A recruiter is discussing a client’s job opportunity with a potential candidate.

People strive to find their dream job while employers are always on the search for the ideal employee. Play a key part in helping both candidates and employers as a recruitment consultant apprentice. The apprenticeship allows you to develop your organisation and negotiating skills while earning an impressive salary. The best thing is you only need a level 2 in English and Maths to apply for a Level 3 Recruitment Consultant Apprenticeship.

What does a recruitment consultant do?

A recruitment consultant searches out and matches candidates with job opportunities at client organisations. On a day-to-day basis, you would not only seek out potential candidates but also assess their suitability for job openings at your clients’ organisations. As result, developing and maintaining candidate and client relationships are key to your role.

As a recruiter, you can choose to work for specialist sectors, such as an IT job consultancy, or work in-house by becoming an education recruitment consultant. While recruiters work predominantly in the recruitment sector, this business apprenticeship allows you to create your own personal and professional development plan in an industry of your choice.

How much does a recruiter earn?

It’s the question on everybody’s mind and the answer usually depends on the sector you choose to work in and your geographical location. However, a recruitment consultant’s salary averages at £28k per year in the London area. More experienced recruiters can earn a base salary of up to £50k.

A consultant role also means a commission is earned for every successful candidate placement. Commissions can either be a fixed payment or a percentage of what you bring to the company. For both, the commission is paid on top of the base salary, so recruitment consultants can make a lot of money.

A recruitment consultant is sat on sofas with their clients
Learn to maintain client relationships and more with a Level 3 Recruitment Consultant apprenticeship

Key competencies for Level 3 Recruitment Consultant apprentices

The recruitment consultant role is multifaceted. Here are a few examples of key duties that need to be carried out along with core technical skills and behavioural attributes that will aid a trainee to achieve these:

Establish and negotiate terms and conditions with clients:

  • Build client relationships that ensure a profitable outcome
  • Doesn’t shy away from challenging poor practices
  • Shows tenacity and resilience

Agree and meet job-related key performance indicators (KPIs):

  • Ensure agreed on KPIs, such as calls made, interviews scheduled, people reached out to, are met
  • Seek feedback from both candidates and clients to inform next KPI agreements
  • Self-motivated

Develop and implement a successful sales technique:

  • To ensure continuous improvement, service interviews should be conducted on a regular basis
  • Good at questioning and listening
  • Ambitious, driven and determined

Be aware of and follow legal and ethical processes for both candidates and clients:

  • Advice on legal requirements and employee rights and responsibilities including equality, diversity, and inclusion
  • Complete all aftercare services, including payments
  • If non-compliance occurs, escalate this

Successfully assess people to find the right candidate for clients’ job opportunities:

  • Create a shortlist of suitable candidates to be presented to clients
  • Great organisational skills
  • Confident, assertive, and persuasive communicator

Recruitment consultant knowledge modules and apprentice exams

While earning a great salary and commission, a recruitment consultant apprentice will also gain on-program learning. These help you to understand the key foundations necessary to perform well on the job. To gain your qualification and prove your understanding, you must complete a knowledge and competency qualification as outlined below:

  • One knowledge qualification: Level 3 Certificate in Principles of Recruitment or Level 3 Certificate in Recruitment Practice
  • One competency qualification: Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Recruitment

Progression opportunities for successful recruiter trainees

The recruitment consultant apprenticeship (level 3) is a good job for those looking to kick-start their career in recruitment. The successful completion of this apprenticeship will allow trainees to progress into more senior roles, as outlined in the occupational map, or onto a higher-level qualification, such as the Level 5 Learning and Development Consultant Business Partner apprenticeship. Successful learners will also qualify to register at the Institute of Recruitment Professionals or the Institute of Recruiters.

If you are interested in a Level 3 Recruitment Consultant Apprenticeship, sign up to our newsletter below to get updates on the course and receive a downloadable copy of our interview tips eBook to help you prepare.

Engagement – 5 Ways to Succeed on Social Media

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Illustration of three people using social media, commenting and liking posts.

Having a strong social media engagement with your audience is more important now than ever before especially with the younger generation. This means having meaningful connections with your customers both new and existing.

But in a world where almost everyone is online how do you bring the right attention to your brand? Read on to find out how interacting with your customers on social media can benefit your business.

What is social media engagement?

Social media engagement is the measurement of responses you receive. Although a big number of followers and likes is good, the emphasis should be on the quality of engagement. Are your followers having a positive experience? Are they engaging with your content and sharing it with others?

The most common metrics are the number of likes and comments but there are a number of metrics you can use:

  • Shares and retweets
  • comments
  • likes
  • saves
  • mentions
  • use of branded hashtags
  • click-throughs 

It is important to track a variety of metrics as different platforms will have different engagement features. Having more than one KPI for social media engagement can also help you pinpoint what areas you can improve and what content may need some changes from the way users are interacting with it.

Now you know what it is, here are the 5 easy ways to increase your engagement rate:

Set your engagement goals

Before hitting post you need to decide what it is you want to achieve. The motivations for engagement will differ based on your business goals. If the goal is to increase traffic on your website the focus could be to increase the number of click throughs to the webpage. If your business wanted to collect feedback on a new product the strategy could be a poll asking your followers for their preferences.

Get to know your audience

To communicate effectively with your target audience you need to understand their wants, needs, and interests. Find out what platforms they use the most and if certain topics interest them more. Have a look at the trending hashtags and what your followers are talking about. This knowledge can help you to create content relevant and valuable to your audience.

Experiment with content

There are so many different types of content you can share on social media. Try different formats and make sure to analyse the results to find what works best for you. When creating the content take into account the context and your audience. For instance, if you are a cosmetics brand perhaps you could post a makeup tutorial and add a link to your website for viewers to purchase the products used. Not only would this increase your engagement rate via the click-throughs or ‘swipe ups’ but also could lead to an increase in conversion rate.

Here are some creative formats to try:

  • Live video
  • Instagram reels
  • Polls & Surveys
  • Q & A
  • Memes
  • Infographics
  • Customer reviews
  • TikTok 

A brand that has a great social media presence and engagement is Nike. Their Instagram features a wide variety of content from short interviews with athletes, encouraging their followers to comment or tag their friends and to click the link in their bio for more information or to purchase a new collection. Check out their Instagram page for some inspiration.

Respond

To have strong customer relationships you need to get involved in the conversation. Be reactive to direct messages, mentions, and comments promptly and keep the conversations going.

It’s a good idea to have a community guideline on responses to ensure they are in line with your brand’s tone of voice and values. This will help when facing negative comments and having pre-composed responses for common queries can save you some time.

Review the engagement data regularly

Social media platforms have analytic tools for you to measure the success of your social media marketing strategies and campaigns. Take full advantage of these tools and regularly audit the analytics.

Compare the data to past months and see if there were any trends or patterns. Maybe there was an event that had an impact on your brand’s engagement?

Three colleagues analysing a data report

Have a look at the data and ask yourself these questions:

  • Which post got the most engagement?
  • Was there any platforms that had very low rates?
  • Which platform drove the most traffic to the site?

Conclusion

Having social media as one of your channels for digital marketing will greatly benefit your business. To ensure you are getting the most out of the platforms engage with your customers by interacting with them, sharing valuable content they will be interested in and remember to set clear goals and track the results.

Level 6 Project Manager Degree Apprenticeship

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Group Of Businesswomen Meeting In Modern Boardroom

Do you like making a difference, enjoy seeing the results of a project from start to finish, and want the opportunity to work across a variety of industries? If so, read on to find out how the level 6 Project Management course is a great way to continue your professional development as a project manager while developing the valuable skills and management techniques to be an effective leader.

Jobs and entry criteria

The project manager apprenticeship equips apprentices with the essential knowledge and skills they can utilize in any type of industry with a career progression path of senior management roles. An average salary of £47.5k is achievable as a Project Manager but this can vary depending on the industry and employer. All the skills developed in this apprenticeship are transferable, allowing for many different opportunities and career growth.

Although the entry requirements may differ by employers, an apprentice would be expected to have the following:

  • 3 A-Levels at grades A to C or the vocational equivalent
  • International Project Association (IPMA) Level D qualification or equivalent before the endpoint assessment
  • Level 2 Maths and English

However, if you have don’t have Level 2 Maths and English you will have the opportunity to complete these before taking the End-Point Assessment (EPA).

The duration of the apprenticeship is typically four years, and you will achieve a BA or BSC Honours degree in Project Management.

Key responsibilities of a Project Manager

A Project Manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of projects, leading and managing their team. This includes the planning, organising, and monitoring of the project, ensuring they are completed on time and within budget. As a project manager, you will need to have good communication and leadership skills to work with diverse teams and motivate them to perform at their best. In addition, you will be organised and good at problem-solving. A project manager needs to be able to adapt and resolve issues promptly.

The knowledge and skills of a Project Manager

In this apprenticeship course, you will gain the key characteristics and skillset of a project manager to manage a team professionally and successfully motivate your project team members. The apprenticeship course will help you understand the following:

  • Manage project budgets and costs
  • Reporting project performance
  • Risk management 
  • Interpreting the aims and objectives of a project
  • The main UK business sectors and how they operate
  • Effective communication with internal and external stakeholders
  • Schedule management
  • Quality management
  • Setting realistic goals
  • Producing status reports
  • Develop strategic plans to achieve an organisation’s short, medium, and long-term strategies
Two businessman discussing a data analysis report

The personality traits of a project manager

A Project Manager is innovative, they understand the bigger picture and work enthusiastically with their team to develop creative and effective solutions. Most importantly, they maintain professional conduct and drive to inspire and support their project team members, working together towards their goals.

Here are the personality traits and characteristics commonly found among project managers:

  • organised
  • takes accountability and responsibility
  • proactive
  • generous with delegating tasks and credit
  • strategic
  • team building and empowering
  • open to give and receive feedback
  • Persistent when faced with tough situations

Employers especially look for these qualities in successful project managers.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Level 6 Project Manager apprenticeship is a great way to develop professionally with excellent progression opportunities. As a result of completing the course, you can become eligible to be a full member of the Association for Project Management (APM). You will gain wide recognition of your achievement in the project profession to add to your CV and unlimited access to APM learning resources and training events to further extend your knowledge.

If you would like to learn more about this apprenticeship or to apply, get in touch with us today.

Level 3 Digital Marketer Apprenticeships

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Digital Industries Apprenticeships

The Digital Industries Apprenticeship Standards are designed by the industry for apprentices employed in a wide variety of different organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors. Employers that are likely to use the new Standards include:

  • Large IT businesses 
  • The Armed Forces
  • Small and medium-sized specialist IT businesses
  • Large non-IT businesses – hiring it IT roles
  • Small and medium-sized non-IT businesses

The job role of an apprentice varies significantly from one employer to the next.

Level 3 Digital Marketer Apprenticeships

The Level 3 Digital Marketer is a brilliant way to emerge into the world of digital marketing and learn which areas are for you. The course covers many areas including but not limited to:

  • the basics of marketing
  • relationship marketing
  • the customer lifecycle
  • search marketing and SEO
  • digital etiquette  

As part of the Digital Marketer Apprenticeship, there are 3 modules of knowledge that are assessed: Principles of Coding, Marketing Principles and Digital Marketing Business Principle which is assessed in the Google Analytics IQ exam. 

There are also several competencies to meet to achieve a Level 3 Digital Marketer Apprenticeship, some of these are written communication, research, customer service, using digital tools effectively and more. 

Portfolio

Throughout the apprenticeship, you’ll need to compile a summative portfolio. This provides evidence of the application of knowledge, competence and behaviours to real work projects in the work environment. This is key to ensure the validity of the final assessment decision. 

Employers and training providers will assist apprentices in  assembling their portfolio to ensure that the summative portfolio is complete, that it covers the totality of the Apprenticeship Standard and is done to a satisfactory standard. 

Synoptic Project

The Synoptic Project is an opportunity to present evidence of the competencies required in a business-related project. The project doesn’t need to cover every competence, but must cover a broad breadth of them including the definition, design, build and implementation of a digital campaign across a variety of on-line and social media platforms.

The project is designed to assess apprentices in a consistent way, separate of their particular workplace and their particular role within their company, and is completed outside of day-to-day work pressures.

End Point Assessment 

The summative portfolio and synoptic project are part of the End Point Assessment (EPA). Alongside this process of ending the apprenticeship is the employer reference and an interview with the apprentice. 

The interview is a structured discussion between the apprentice and their independent assessor and focuses on the summative portfolio and the synoptic project, with reference to the employer reference. The purpose of the interview is:

  • clarify any questions the independent assessor has from their assessment of the portfolio and the project
  • explore any comments raised in the employers reference
  • confirm and validate judgements about the quality of work
  • explore aspects of the work, including how it was carried out, in more detail
  • provide further evidence for the independent assessor to make a holistic decision about the grade to be awarded

Conclusion

A level 3 Digital Marketer apprenticeship is a great way to launch a career in the broad industry, it’s good at providing a clear big picture which allows apprentices to figures which areas they enjoy and which they don’t

Level 3 Leisure Duty Manager Apprenticeship

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Do you enjoy leading a team, supporting customers and health and fitness? If this sounds like the career for you, a level 3 Leisure Duty Manager apprenticeship is a great way to start, read on for more information about the apprenticeship.

Key responsibilities of a leisure duty manager

The role of a Leisure Duty Manager is to manage the effective day to day frontline operation of a leisure facility. These facilities vary in size and offer services such as swimming pools, multi-functional sports halls, fitness suites, crèche, children’s soft play, health suites, climbing walls and outdoor sports tracks. 

The Leisure Duty Manager is responsible for ensuring the facility is prepared for use as part of the activity programme and that all areas are maintained to the highest possible standards of safety, cleanliness, security and operational effectiveness. Typically, the Leisure Duty Manager will provide visible leadership to a diverse range of staff such as lifeguards, receptionists, sports coaches, fitness teams and crèche workers. Their responsibility is to manage staff performance and on-going development to ensure staff are motivated, efficient and operate at a high standard.

The Leisure Duty Manager typically reports to a Leisure Centre/General Manager and assists in implementing management systems, maintaining operational standards records, and financial procedures in accordance with regulations and industry guidance whilst ensuring compliance with all organisational policies and procedures. 

Leisure Duty Managers’ typically cover a seven day week resulting in shifts that include weekends, early mornings, evenings and public holidays.

Level 3 Leisure Duty Manager Core Competencies

As part of your job role, you will carry out duties that will satisfy a number of competencies. Some examples are:

  • Curiosity: an eagerness to learn and understand why / how things work and might be improved
  • Skilled Influencer: able to positively influence and convince customers and colleagues in positive ways
  • Decisive Thinker: not afraid to make decisions, explaining them and standing by them when needed
  • Driven to Deliver: to achieving agreed standards every day
  • Collaborative: shows willingness to work with and co-operate with a diverse workforce, customer base and assist the team
  • Personally Credible: truthful with customers and colleagues and treats others fairly and equally
  • Role Model: leads & Inspires through great communication and being a team player – always projects a positive happy, inspiring role model

As part of the apprenticeship, you’ll need to achieve the First Aid at Work and Pool Plant Operator qualification. 

Conclusion 

The Level 3 Leisure Duty Manager apprenticeship is a brilliant way to launch a career in the leisure industry and can lead to more senior management roles such as Centre Manager. Completing this apprenticeship also means becoming a Member of the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA).

Apprenticeships UK, Digital Apprenticeships