Meet the Apprentice on National Apprenticeship Week 2021: Alistair Ward.

Monday 8th to 14th February is National Apprenticeship Week 2021 and it’s something we are keen to share some content round here at Coinadrink.

That’s because we have always understood the value of an apprenticeship. Our Managing Director Roger Williams himself actually started as an apprentice, so has always been keen to promote this career path himself.

Coinadrink offers a highly regarded apprenticeship scheme which has opened many doors for employees both past and present, not just those who are in the early stages of their careers. Just one of those employees is Alistair Ward, who is our Digital Marketing Specialist about to complete his Level 3 Digital Marketer apprenticeship course.

Alistair Ward began his apprenticeship course in February 2019 as a way to boost his skills and knowledge in his current Digital Marketing role.

The course would entail a variety of Digital Marketing concepts including SEO, HTML and social media marketing. Now almost complete, here are Alistair’s thoughts about the course and how Coinadrink Limited has helped him through it all.

1. What is your current apprenticeship course?

Digital Marketer Level 3.

2. What were your initial fears and how did Coinadrink help you overcome these?

As ever with something new, it’s always a little daunting to begin with. I knew the skills I would be learning would help me in my role, but I was a little concerned about managing my time between the course (and attending college) and my job.

However, Coinadrink were very understanding right from the very start and altered my workload accordingly. They were also very supportive in enabling some of my college work to be done during working hours from time to time, which helped me a lot.

I knew that Coinadrink had their apprenticeship scheme in place for a long time and I knew many employees had undertaken a course themselves. This helped me to realise I was in good hands and had nothing to worry about.

3. What are the main skills you feel you have learnt?

With my course almost complete, I feel the apprenticeship has helped me to solidify my knowledge in all the key areas of Digital Marketing.

I would argue that Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) has been one area where I have developed my skills a great deal. I now understand all that goes into making a website rank towards the top of search engine results and the ways in which search engine algorithms can penalise you as well.

I believe that SEO is one of the most important aspects of marketing in general, so I am proud of the fact I now have a lot more knowledge in this field. I also enjoy the HTML side which comes in handy for creating email campaigns. Again, this is a skill that has been strengthened by my apprenticeship.

Together, the apprenticeship has helped me in my Digital Marketing role and has made me more confident in marketing our vending machine services to current and prospective customers.

4. How has Coinadrink supported you throughout the course?

Coinadrink Limited has been excellent. As a company they invest a great deal in their staff, and they are always looking to improve our skills and knowledge through courses and placements.

Right from the start they made it easy for me to balance my job and my course under as little pressure as possible. They allocated one day every week for me to go to college and were always happy for me to do some college work during working time where possible.

Some parts of the course were naturally challenging but due to the brilliant team I have around me, they would always take time out to assist as much as possible.

I am extremely grateful for the opportunity they have provided for me.

5. Would you recommend an apprenticeship to a friend? If so, why?

I believe that everybody is different and what works for one person may not work for another, so ultimately it is doing what is best for you.

Having now almost completed my Digital Marketer apprenticeship and about to start a Sales apprenticeship, my personal view is that an apprenticeship can be extremely valuable.

It’s a great way to boost your skills and knowledge with things that are tied closely to the workplace, so it always feels as though what you are doing is genuinely beneficial for both yourself and your company.

It is a wonderful experience and I would recommend anyone to at least look into it regardless of the stage of your career you are at!

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As a way to mark National Apprenticeship Week 2021 and to highlight its importance, we will have more stories from our team over the course of the week. After all, we are proudly Investors in People Gold accredited! Keep your eyes peeled for tomorrow’s!

Coinadrink Ltd

10-11, Maple Leaf Industrial Estate, Bloxwich Ln, Walsall WS2 8TF
01922 640777