“The Apprenticeship gave me the confidence to push myself”

A social-media professional at Transport for Wales put her career in the fast lane, with an ACT Apprenticeship.

The recently-promoted Hannah Drake-Jones said the Social Media for Business Apprenticeship was “an invaluable opportunity to achieve a formal qualification while working full time”.

Now, as ACT celebrates National Apprenticeship Week (February 7-13), she tells us how these qualifications can help people in all industries get ahead.

At first, working as a Social Media Officer, she didn’t know it was an option, but her manager suggested she do the qualification and they both thought it would be a great way to enhance her skill set and develop within the role. It included valuable lessons on targeting specific audiences and measuring the impact of posts. In fact, the Apprenticeship gave her such a boost she has moved up from Social Media Officer to a Team Leader role.

She explained: “At the time of completing the Apprenticeship, it was beneficial to my then role as a Social Media Officer, and I learned a lot. The course covered the key principles of social media for business, including targeting different audiences, understanding customer perception, measuring success and so much more.

Since completing the qualification, I’ve moved into a Team Leader role within the Customer Relations function at Transport for Wales. During my Apprenticeship, I developed a lot of transferable skills, including goal setting, using spreadsheet software and analysing and reporting data, which has been beneficial for my current position.

The 30-year-old, who grew up in Devon but now lives in Cardiff, could see the value of the Apprenticeship, which helped her stay motivated.

“It was easy to focus, knowing that I was working towards a qualification that would be a valuable asset,” she said. “The course material was also interesting and engaging, so staying motivated wasn’t a problem.”

But she said the biggest help came from her supportive ACT assessor, “who broke down each unit into easy to manage chunks, so it never felt overwhelming”.

Hannah added: “She was on hand to answer any questions, and the combination of one-to-one sessions and workshops was really beneficial. There were also podcasts of the course material, so you could revisit the information if you’d missed something or needed a refresh.”

She knows the Apprenticeship has made her more employable and will be invaluable for the future career she has planned, in the rail and transport industry.

She said: “The Apprenticeship gave me the confidence in my abilities to push myself and take the next step in my career, ultimately landing a position with more responsibility. I think an Apprenticeship is a great way to continue your education and gain valuable hands-on experience within your chosen industry.”

If you manage your organisation’s social accounts and you’re looking to develop your skills and knowledge, why not sign up to our Social Media for Business qualification?

Follow our social accounts throughout Apprenticeship Week Wales 2022 (#AWWales) to find out about the many benefits of Apprenticeships.