We recently spoke to Sam Fickling, Digital Marketing apprentice at Mabo, about his apprenticeship experience so far, including highlights, unique job perks and the support he has received from Northern Skills.
Sam begins by saying: “Thanks to Middlesbrough College, Northern Skills, and Chloe Welsh, studying my apprenticeship so far has been nothing short of brilliant. The transition from working to studying has always been seamless and I have been set on a career path which I previously hadn’t known existed, but now I’m incredibly passionate about.
“I have been incredibly lucky to get a talented and supportive mentor at Northern Skills, Chloe Welsh. Chloe has always been ready for questions and has provided constant reassurance through a process that was nothing like I’ve ever experienced before. When searching for an apprenticeship, I was bombarded with information that became quickly overwhelming, but when I had a call with someone from Northern Skills, I was talked through the process which quickly restored my confidence.
“My apprenticeship employers are Mabo, a digital marketing agency, who have mastered integrating inexperienced apprentices into their team of talented professionals. When not studying with Chloe Welsh, Mabo’s in-house PPC training & development Manager has continuously expanded my knowledge of digital advertising, often through 1-2-1’s, weekly team training sessions, and regular apprentice-specific training to go alongside skills taught by Northern Skills.
“I had expected the work assigned to me to be more “busy work” that other people couldn’t be bothered to do, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I have always been treated like an actual full-time employee and have been taught the Mabo way of doing things. The skills I have learnt during my apprenticeship have been irreplaceable.
“Since starting my apprenticeship I have discovered a passion for digital marketing, and I do not see this changing any time soon. I would love to continue working in the ever-changing industry and I am lucky enough to have been kept on as a PPC Executive after a year of being a Junior PPC Executive, so I am living my dream!
“I absolutely would recommend studying on an apprenticeship – I discovered a passion for an industry that I hadn’t realised existed before looking for an apprenticeship. This opportunity has been consistently rewarding, being able to get my ‘foot in the door’ of an incredibly successful digital marketing agency, while studying digital marketing, a subject that will forever be integral to our lives.”