Beth Armstead returned to Ashton Sixth Form College as a newly appointed Digital Marketing Apprentice. 

Beth completed her studies at Ashton last year in August 2018. She studied Photography, Media Studies and Graphic Design, and completed her high school education at All Saints Catholic College.

While at Ashton, Beth identified that she wanted to progress on to an apprenticeship and joined the Employability tutorial groups. The Employability tutorial groups are designed to connect like-minded students who are focusing on the apprenticeship or employment pathway. This academic year, students attended the Employability Conference in college providing them will invaluable skills sessions from Barclays Life Skills, as well as connecting them to employers and apprenticeship providers including GMP and National Rail. 

Returning to the college less than six months after completing her A-Levels, Beth wanted to speak to students about her experience and offer some advice. During college she did not apply for many apprenticeships. Beth commented on how she only started to apply for apprenticeships from July onwards when she had completely left college and finished her exams. She felt that this was extremely late and looking back wishes she would have started earlier.

Not wanting to be put off, Beth remained determined to secure the apprenticeship she wanted. She decided to re-evaluate her own CV and her portfolio. Beth enrolled on digital courses with the Google Digital Garage in Manchester - a provider that the college continues to work closely with. She also took on some unpaid experience photographing a local band to expand her skills. While she was looking for apprenticeships, she used her time effectively to build up her own portfolio and remain creatively active in as many ways as possible in order to stand out.

After building up her experience, Beth applied to the Juice Academy for the second time. She felt that this time around she was much more prepared and had the experience to pitch herself and her skills to a room full of potential employers. Juice Academy prides itself on being the UK's first industry-led digital apprenticeship (Juice Academy).

Following a successful application, Beth was invited to an assessment centre day. This involved multiple rounds of interviews, tasks and sessions to challenge candidates and ensure employers gain a full understanding of who they are and how they would work as part of their team. 

Beth completed her assessment day with flying colours and was offered a place on an apprenticeship with 'Changing Education.' In just 15 months time, Beth will have completed her Level 3 qualification as a 'Junior Content Producer.' 

Speaking to current students in their tutorial groups, Beth passed on her advice to those who are in the same position she was a year ago. She encouraged students to make use of the college resources, such as Careers, and also to begin making decisions now. Looking back, Beth wished she has started applying for her apprenticeship during the final year of her studies and wanted the students to learn from her story. 

Beth's resilience and her determination to secure the apprenticeship she wanted has paid off. Her confidence and passion for apprenticeships was particularly inspiring to both the students and staff. Her story also marked a valuable lesson for students to learn before they leave college.