Marketing Debuts: apprentices raring to go now Bootcamp is done

Recruits in The Industry Club’s Marketing Debuts apprenticeship scheme have completed their intense two-week Bootcamp and joined up with their new employers.
Kicking off with overviews of their Marketing Debuts scheme, the apprentices then enjoyed presentations from their hiring companies as well as leading industry figures.
During week 1 of the Bootcamp, Daryl Fielding, CEO of the Marketing Academy Foundation, led a session on ‘What is a brand and how to manage it’ and Emma Gardner, Co-founder of Born Equal Consults and a BLOOM UK mentor, spoke about the role project management has played in her success. Meanwhile, Lorna Karechu, Connections Manager (Social, EMEA) VMLY&R London, and India Tunstall, Social Media Manager at Grayling, spoke about the challenges and techniques involved in social media and community management.
Teamwork also featured prominently, with the apprentices delving into the principles of Belbin’s Nine Team Roles and Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats.
Also covered were themes such as professional communications, resilience and mental wellbeing, project work as a team, top tips for virtual working and self-belief.
And there was no let-up in the pace in week 2. The second half of the Bootcamp saw the apprentices develop their awareness of disciplines ranging from communication styles to company values, getting organised to collaboration and defining professionalism to applying learnings on the day job.
More industry figures dropped in with presentations in specialist areas, and there were introductory modules for both the Creative Project Management and Social Media & Community Management apprenticeship programmes.
Along the way the apprentices also had time get to know each other through virtual networking sessions, buddies’ lunch breaks, a quiz night and other online activities.
The Bootcamp closed after lunch on Friday 22 January with a session titled What to Expect Next Week, preparing the apprentices for their first day in their new jobs with the Marketing Debuts employers, who are:
· 33Seconds
· Adam&EveDDB
· Big Brand Ideas
· Elvis
· Generation Success
· Havas Lynx
· Leagas Delaney
· Red Brick Road
· Mando
· SevenSix Agency
· The Opportunity Group
· Wilderness Agency
Still buzzing from the intense, yet energising two weeks, Betty Ward, who has joined Havas Lynx as a project manager on the CPM apprenticeship programme, said of the Bootcamp: ‘It was so friendly and positive. I felt enormously encouraged and now have much more belief in myself and my abilities, I finally feel like I have found a way of learning that makes sense for me, it was practical, engaging and I learnt skills that I’ll use for the rest of my life, as well as in my work career.’
Melissa Smith, Founder and Managing Director of The Industry Club, said: ‘Our employability Bootcamp is a unique and invaluable addition to standard apprenticeship schemes. It sets the apprentices up for success with great workplace skills and practical examples to build upon when they join their host employers. We’ve seen all of the learners really grow in confidence throughout the Bootcamp and their feedback has been really rewarding.’
A huge thank you to The Opportunity Group and all our speakers and presenters who made the Bootcamp such a valuable and memorable first fortnight for our first Marketing Debuts cohort apprentices.
Find out more about our next Marketing Debuts scheme.