Apprenticeships support our aim to help engage and retain our staff and ensure our people have the professional qualifications needed to do their job. For those who are motivated to get started, an apprenticeship is an excellent way of gaining essential experience and a recognised qualification. It also offers learners structured career progression and increased confidence.
Moving with confidence is Fiona McKnight-Burton, Communications Coordinator from Head Office who wraps up our celebration of National Apprenticeship Week by sharing her experience of completing her Level Four Public Relations and Communications Apprenticeship.
Pictured above is Fiona McKnight-Burton being presented with her certificate by Karen Porter, Head of Communications and Engagement.
“I first enrolled on the Public Relations and Communications apprenticeship at the end of 2019 just before the Coronavirus outbreak. Studying and working from home came with its challenges but I was super excited about the new learning opportunities and you can tunnel vision through the hard times. It was a chance to develop new skills which I can put to good use in my role as a Communications Coordinator at Landmarc.
“I was lucky to receive ongoing support from my team and other work colleagues within the business who have helped me along the way. I have gained new techniques and tools to really push myself whilst also building my confidence and developing new skills.
“I’ve studied some fun projects over the past 18 months which have increased my expertise in public relations, whether it’s through writing, building relationships, social media content planning, event management or creating new ideas.
“During my apprenticeship, my understanding of the industry and the requirements of the role have considerably improved. I hope to be leading large campaigns and innovative projects in the future and I’m excited to continue to develop my career in PR.
“Now that I’ve completed my apprenticeship, I feel much more confident at work and can enhance my ability to expand my role. I have found the whole experience very valuable and I hope to continue my career within Landmarc for the foreseeable future. In addition, I plan to build my network, using LinkedIn more proactively, and to continue to build a positive rapport with both my internal and external clients.
“I would strongly encourage anyone to start an apprenticeship, I’d say it’s brilliant. The time flew by so quickly because the modules were engaging and relevant to my role and I was able to build a case of projects to help strengthen my skills. My advice for anyone thinking about an apprenticeship is to research the topic you are interested in, take the time to absorb the learning and ask as many questions as you can! ”
Karen Porter, Head of Communications and Engagement says, “Fee’s commitment to both her work and her studies was impressive. Throughout, she continued to be a supportive and hard-working member of the communications team with a positive and enthusiastic approach to work.
“She is definitely a team-player and always willing to go the extra mile to ensure communications tasks are completed on time. Well done Fee, your hard work has paid off. Huge congratulations on this achievement.”
View our quick guide to apprenticeships at Landmarc here.