When marketing products and services, you need to be prepared to engage with customers. Rather than send a one-way marketing message, good digital marketing campaigns should engage customers.
Campaigns should hook customers and entice them to find out
more about your products and/or services.
When customers get in touch you need to be prepared to respond efficiently to their enquiries using a range of platforms. This could be on email, through your website, or using social media.
Any good sales or marketing team will be ready to handle customer
enquiries and respond to these in a professional manner. Being prepared for
this by having customer service and social media policies in place makes this
so much easier.
As an apprentice on the digital marketer standard, you need to demonstrate that you can “respond efficiently to enquiries using online and social media platforms.”
So, what does good customer service look like?
To make sure your customers get what they need, it is important
to have a clear plan in place to respond to every individual request. Here is a
6-step approach to make sure that every customer enquiry is managed
effectively.
Have clear policies in place to provide a consistent level of customer service
Understand and categories the type of enquiry
Know the individual customer
Gather any information to provide the customer with everything that they need
Respond as quickly as you can
Provide follow up contact details and information
Now let’s have a look at each of these in more detail.
Have clear policies in place to provide a consistent level of customer service
Whilst it’s important to treat each customer as an individual, it is essential to also have a consistent and fair approach to make sure everyone gets the same level of service.
Ensuring that there are agreed customer service and social media policies to define how everyone in your organisation responds to customers is a great idea. These should outline things like the tone of voice and a clear strategy on how to approach each customer enquiry.
Making sure that a high-level customer service approach is available, agreed on and regularly updated will make you maintain a consistent approach in the first instance.
Understand and categories the type of enquiry
To respond to customer enquiries as efficiently as possible, the first thing that you should do is categories the type of enquiry. Having defined types of customer service enquiries such as: request for information; complaint; advocate; common enquiry; etc. is an excellent starting point.
If your organisation is aware of the types of enquiries, it can further develop a strategy for dealing with these in the quickest and simplest way possible.
There can be some very quick turnarounds if you effectively categories enquiries and deal with the simple and common requests as quickly as possible. This can keep the caseload down and result in more and more customers that are satisfied with the quick turnaround.
Obviously a CRM system would be an effective tool to help achieve this and links into the next point.
Know the individual customer
As the first point mentions, having a high-level strategy and clear policies are important. Additionally, good customer service agents will use everything that they know about each individual customer to provide customised service.
Think of a time when you got a copy/pasted reply to an enquiry compared to one where it was clear that the responder had taken the time to get to know you and your individual case. Was there a big difference? We’re sure that you’ll agree that there is normally a massive difference with this type of approach. That’s not to say that generic copy/paste or automated responses cannot be effective to provide an initial acknowledgement of the customer service request.
Building up a knowledge bank on each customer at every touchpoint and managing this information will allow you to tailor each response for the individual.
Gather any information to provide the customer with everything that they need
We’ve previously mentioned having high-level policies, categorising enquiries and getting to know the customer. The next step is to make sure that you gather the information that the customer needs to satisfy their request. You need to organise this information in a clear and concise manner so that it can be communicated effectively.
For complaints, you might need more detailed investigation whereas you may also have a knowledge bank of custom responses that can help you deal with common requests. Using this information along with what you know about the customer, means that you will be able to provide the most effective response.
Respond as quickly as you can
It goes without saying really, that getting back to a customer service enquiry as quickly as possible will go a long way to keeping customers happy.
That being said, make sure that you cover everything that is needed before providing a hasty response. Those extra few minutes can make all the difference between a completely satisfied customer and someone that will come back with a further enquiry.
One thing we mentioned previously was automated responses. These can be effective as an acknowledgement of receiving an enquiry but should be used sparingly so that your approach is personalised.
Provide follow up with contact details and information
When you have followed your customer service policy and formatted a response that will meet the customers need, you should not always leave it at that.
Provide clear and concise information on how they can take next steps to get them where they or you would like them to be can make all the difference.
Having a clear call to action that could push them to buy or even just provide an easier method to get in touch can be a much more effective approach that just trying to close off a customer service case.
Being proactive and going out of your way to go the extra mile for the customer whether they have contacted you with a complaint or compliment really does add the personal touch.
Conclusion
Here we have look at what is good customer service and how you can use and effective strategy to deal with customer service requests. If there is anything that has worked well for you, please feel free to drop us a comment below.
If you found this article interesting, please feel free to share it. Thanks for reading.
The occupational standard provides an overview of the role that an apprentice will undertake as:
Use online and social media platforms to design, build and implement campaigns and drive customer sales
Understanding this is essential to properly prepare for end-point assessment on the digital marketer apprenticeship.
The occupational standard outlines the high-level technical competencies, knowledge and understanding and essential skills, attitudes and behaviours. It also includes details on the knowledge modules, and vendor or professional qualifications that an apprentice must complete.
Some examples of vendor exams are the CIM level 4 award in Digital Marketing and the Google Analytics IQ. The standard dictates that apprentices should complete the Google Analytics for Beginners and Advanced Google Analytics course to achieve this.
It outlines that apprentices needs to complete English and Maths at level 2 if they have not already achieved these.
Assessment Plan
To understand how end-point assessment (EPA) works and what an apprentice needs to do, you need to look at the assessment plan. This outlines the requirements for how an apprentice is assessed at the end of the apprenticeship. It provides the full detail on the four key elements, as follows: Summative Portfolio, Employer Reference, Synoptic Project and Interview.
Apprentices will enter the EPA gateway when they have covered the entirety of the standard within their summative portfolio. To verify this, the apprentice, their employer and training provider will agree that the apprentice is fully competent against the standard. The employer reference is used to confirm this.
Summative Portfolio and Employer Reference
At the end-point assessment gateway, the apprentice submits their summative portfolio along with an employer reference. The assessment plan defines these as follows:
Provides evidence against the totality of the standard, based on the application of knowledge, competence and behaviours to real work projects in the work environment. This is key to ensure the validity of the final assessment decision.
Provides the employer’s perspective on how the apprentice has performed in the workplace and how they have applied their knowledge, competencies and behaviours in work projects.
Digital Marketer Synoptic Project
After the portfolio and employer reference have been reviewed, an apprentice will complete the synoptic project. Apprentices carry out the synoptic project over a period of four days in a controlled environment. This is done in either the employer or training provider’s premises. The synoptic project element is defined within the assessment plan as follows:
Provides evidence against a selected set of knowledge, competencies and behaviours against a pre-defined project undertaken in a controlled environment. This is key to ensure consistency and comparability, increasing the accuracy of the assessment decision.
Any reputable end-point assessment organisation for digital marketer will ensure that the synoptic project includes a broad breadth of the competence outcomes. This should include the definition, design, build and implementation of a digital marketing campaign. The definition, design, build and implementation theme is also a good guiding point for putting a summative portfolio together. Showing these four stages provides a natural opportunity to outline how you met competencies within your job role.
Professional discussion/Interview
The final stage that ties everything together is the interview or professional discussion. This is defined in the assessment plan as below:
Provides an opportunity for further evidence to be gathered and/or evidence to be explored in more detail against any of the knowledge, competence or behaviours. This also increases accuracy and validity.
The independent assessor will use the interview to ask an apprentice about their portfolio. After this, they will explore what an apprentice does as part of their job role. They may also ask an apprentice how they found the synoptic project. Assessors look to combine the different elements to help the apprentice prove that they are competent.
The assessor may use the interview to address any gaps that they have found in the apprentice’s knowledge. Additionally, they should give an apprentice the opportunity to show further evidence.
The apprentice should use the interview an opportunity to show that they have exceeded expectations for the what, how and with whom elements of the standard.
Digital Marketer Occupational Brief
The occupational brief for the digital marketer apprenticeship will help you understand what an independent end-point assessor will be looking for. It matches each of the technical competencies to the minimum requirement. Clearly demonstrating these requirements in the portfolio, employer reference, synoptic project, and final interview is the key to success.
The occupational brief allows shows the specific requirements outlined for the what, how and with whom. Considering these throughout the course of the apprenticeship could prove the difference in achieving one of the higher grades. The assessment plan goes into more detail on how this can be done.
Achieving success on the digital marketer apprenticeship
Understanding the documentation for the digital marketer apprenticeship is really important. Understanding is only the first part and demonstrating a practical application of every detail of the standard is what the most successful apprentices will do.
Let’s have a look at how each element of the digital marketer standard can be considered from a practical point of view. To do this, we will look at what could be included in a portfolio using the four key elements are addressed in the synoptic project: definition, design, build and implementation of digital marketing campaigns including social media. Within this, we will break down how individual competencies and the related minimum requirements can be covered using practical evidence within the portfolio. We’ll also add a fourth stage, evaluating the campaign. This provides a better opportunity to address the detail for the what, how, and with whom to work towards the higher grades.
Tell a story when you put your summative portfolio together
There is no exact science to mapping the competencies into specific sections of managing a digital marketing campaign. But the following approach will enable an apprentice to show their work using clear structure.
As an apprentice, the most important thing that you can do is ‘tell a story’ of how you contributed towards a project. You don’t have to cover every competency in every project and you should use a holistic approach.
A key point to remember before building a summative portfolio is that everything should focus on campaigns. A summative portfolio MUST include the use of social media to run campaigns. The reason for using the stages outlined below to structure a project is that they keep the focus on running campaigns.
Did we mention the importance of focusing on running campaigns on the digital marketer apprenticeship?
Defining a digital marketing campaign
For this stage, an apprentice should look to clearly define the business case for running a digital marketing campaign. Apprentices should reference any marketing briefs and plans that they considered or created. They should focus on any internal company standards and industry good practice that they considered in the campaign. Apprentices should include any communication tools that they used to define and plan the campaign. Make sure to include clear practical evidence for this.
A clear introduction defining the campaign should be provided so that an assessor understands the purpose of the task. The easiest way to do this is to describe the purpose of the campaign in simple language. Write it so that even someone without any knowledge of digital marketing would be able to gauge a high-level understanding.
Research to inform strategy
After defining the business, further research can be done to make both short and long-term recommendations for strategy.
Research can include activities such as:
looking at the data for past campaigns
investigating the use of new tools or methods that can be used in this campaign
investigating target audience to develop customer personas
reviewing specific terms and conditions for digital platforms
investigating the legislation and industry standards for digital marketing
using sources to obtain key facts and figures
keyword research
competitor analysis
completing training courses to gain a practical insight into technical aspects of the project
When researching it is essential to document both the short and long-term strategy that will be considered within this campaign. Presenting this in a clear and concise manner for the assessor and showing the recommendations will demonstrate how the minimum requirement is met.
Tell a story and link competencies together
Remember, the best portfolios will show that an apprentice understands each of the minimum requirements. Create an easy to follow story of the work that was done on each campaign to achieve this.
When research has been completed, there is a natural opportunity to outline a range of tools and technologies that you plan to use. Making recommendations based on the research shows further consideration for what and how.
Recommending effective, secure and appropriate solutions that make the way that you work more efficiently will show the assessor the breadth, depth and complexity of your skills. Putting a portfolio together for your apprenticeship is not about doing the minimum, it’s about showing that you are highly official professional that understands the entirety of the standard.
Competencies to reference when defining and planning a campaign
Here are some of the competencies that you can cover will defining and planning a digital marketing campaign with a list of others that you may be able to include or reference.
Competency
Minimum Requirement
Interprets and follows: – latest developments in digital media technologies and trends – marketing briefs and plans – company defined ‘customer standards’ or industry good practice for marketing – company, team or client approaches to continuous integration
The apprentice must be able to demonstrate and explain latest developments and tools appropriate to their organisation.
The apprentices should be able to define good customer and industry practice and attendance of continuous professional development.
Research: analyses and contributes information on the digital environment to inform short and long term digital communications strategies and campaigns
The apprentice can take and interpret a given topic (for both long and short term strategies) and make a recommendation and report on the summary of findings for each strategy.
Technologies: recommends and applies effective, secure and appropriate solutions using a wide variety of digital technologies and tools over a range of platforms and user interfaces to achieve marketing objectives
The apprentice can demonstrate the use of 3 digital technology tools over 3 differing platforms or user interfaces to meet the objectives
Other relevant competencies that can be mapped:
Written communication; Problem-solving; Use digital tools; Interprets and follows; Operate effectively.
As mentioned, there is no right or wrong method for presenting your portfolio. Find a style that works for you and shows that you have considered the full detail outlined in the occupational brief.
Designing a campaign
This next step is very much an extension of defining and planning a campaign. You can go into more detail on how different personas will be targeted.
You can produce an editorial calendar and draft copy for different channels. It is important to consider how campaign performance can be measured at this stage. Apprentices can make outline plans A/B testing to carry out across different channels. They can also collect and organise any digital assets that will be used in the campaign.
Competencies to consider when designing a campaign
Written communication; Problem-solving; Research; Recommending technologies; Interprets and follows; Operate effectively.
The key point to remember here is to ensure that you design the campaign based on requirements. How you present it in the portfolio should be a natural extension of how you defined the campaign.
Build and implementation of a digital marketing campaign
This is really the most important part to consider when putting a summative portfolio together. The core competency in the apprenticeship is implementing digital campaigns and everything in the portfolio should centre around demonstrating this.
Written communication covered by campaign implementation
Nearly every digital marketing campaign will include written copy. Therefore, it is good to naturally consider this competency when focusing on campaign implementation. The reason for this is because it enables you to focus on how the campaign audience was segmented.
There will be other opportunities to show evidence for written communications but this is the most natural place to consider target audience. Simply showing 3 forms of written communication without considering the audience does not meet the minimum requirement. Be smart and use the natural opportunity to cover when creating campaign copy.
Campaign implementation and specialist areas of digital marketing
When implementing digital marketing campaigns across three different media there is again a natural opportunity to cover the specialist areas. Understanding the 6 specialist areas is important here and the knowledge requirement means that you should be able to explain them.
Social media needs to be covered along with two more of the specialist areas and this ensure that the requirement for three types of campaigns is covered. Search marketing, SEO, Email marketing and PPC specialisms all provide the opportunity to cover two more types of campaigns.
Mobile could be cover separately or combined with implementing a campaign in one of the other specialist areas.
Web analytics should be naturally included when doing the final section on campaign analysis and evaluation. In fact, we would recommend not relying on web analytics as a specialist area as it makes it more difficult to show that you have implemented campaigns across three different platforms.
Remember when covering specialist areas, you MUST demonstrate the discovery of patterns in data to help optimise usage of a website.
Social media MUST be included when covering the implementation competency
If an apprentice has not implemented social media campaigns, they should not be entering the gateway. Looking at the minimum requirement, it is clear to see that this should be covered. This brings us to the next point.
Providing customer service on social media platforms on the digital marketer apprenticeship
The need to combine competencies in that manner that we recommend here just ensures that all bases are covered. If an apprentice does not implement a social media campaign, it is highly likely that they will not be able to respond to enquiries on social media.
Customer service can be provided over email or other digital platforms but if social media is not included then the minimum requirement will not be met. This goes back to points made earlier on the importance of getting a commitment from employers fo the apprentice to utilise social media as a major part of their job role.
Use of tools
The reason why the use of tools is a natural fit for this section is again because of the minimum requirement This refers to tools to use in campaigns so considering this here is just the clever thing to do.
Competency
Minimum Requirement
Written communication: applies a good level of written communication skills for a range of audiences and digital platforms and with regard to the sensitivity of communication
The Apprentice must be able to demonstrate communicating across 3 different platforms to 3 different types of audience or Customer segments, one of these should be a form of Internal communication.
Implementation: builds and implements digital campaigns across a variety of digital media platforms
The apprentice must be able to build and implement campaigns across at least 3 different digital media, including social media, platforms.
Applies at least two of the following specialist areas: search marketing, search engine optimisation, e mail marketing, web analytics and metrics, mobile apps and Pay-Per-Click
The apprentice must be able to apply two of the listed analytic tools/approaches to demonstrate the discovery and evaluation of patterns in data for the purpose of understanding and optimizing usage of a website.
Customer service: responds efficiently to enquiries using online and social media platforms.
The apprentice must be able to demonstrate professionally responding to three different types of enquires over both social media and online platforms.
Uses digital tools effectively
The apprentice must be able to Apply and understands the latest and most effective tools to use in campaigns and demonstrate the use of 3 tools most appropriate to the business and audience.
Other relevant competencies that can be mapped:
Problem-solving; Recommends technologies; Data, Analysis and Analytics to tweak campaigns when they are running; Interprets and follows; Operate effectively.
As can be seen above, a number of other competencies can be covered in this section but grouping those on written communication, implementation, specialist areas, customer service and digital tools will make things so much easier.
Evaluating campaign success
If you follow the logic of basing the portfolio on implementing digital marketing campaigns then this section is a natural extension of that. Every good digital marketer will design and implement campaigns and consider how campaign success can be measured when doing this.
Looking at the three main competencies on data, analysis and digital analytics is just a wise choice to combine the evidence here. A strong analysis of campaign performance here using a range of tools will show competence for all three areas. A five-minute video included in the portfolio could actually show excellent evidence here.
As mentioned previously, you can also combine the specialist area of web analytics here is the data is used to identify how to optimise campaigns. As this is a natural element of digital marketing, this can be easily done here.
Problem-solving can be considered within the campaign analysis and evaluation as you can look back at the entire campaign and reflect on what went well and what problems you had to overcome.
Competency
Minimum Requirement
Data: reviews, monitors and analyses online activity and provides recommendations and insights to others
The Apprentice can demonstrate the awareness of 2 different tools to review, monitor and analyse online activity.
The apprentice should be able to demonstrate how they have recommended and defined customer’s trends and uses.
Analysis: understands and creates basic analytical dashboards using appropriate digital tools
The apprentice must be able to analyse data and create reports by selecting 3 appropriate tools.
Digital analytics: measures and evaluates the success of digital marketing activities
The apprentice can demonstrate that they have been able to measure success across two campaigns.
Problem solving: applies structured techniques to problem solving, and analyses problems and resolves issues across a variety of digital platforms
The apprentice must apply 3 different techniques to problem solving and analysis over a variety of digital platforms.
Other relevant competencies that can be mapped:
Research; Technologies (new ones could be recommend based on curent status of campaign); Specialist areas (web analytics is naturally covered here); Use of tools; Interprets and follows; Operate effectively.
As within the problem this final section gives you a chance to reflect in your work. You can show how recommendations where made and how you considered internal and industry standards.
At the end of this section or in a concluding section, the best apprentices will really show off how they considered the what how and with whom. Reflecting on what has been done, how you went about the work and detailing how you worked with others can set you apart at end-point assessment. This is why understanding the standard and considering the key documents is essential as you will be able to make it clear to the assessor that you are working above the minimum requirements.
Conclusion: Top tips for digital marketer apprentices
We have looked at simplifying the requirements of the digital marketer apprenticeship here. Training providers and employers may have their own approach to helping you prepare for end-point assessment but here is a summary of our quick tips.
Our tips for success at EPA on the digital marketer apprenticeship
Read the occupational standard to make sure that you understand the high-level competencies. It’s only a 2-page document, why not print it out and have it displayed at your workstation?
Read the assessment plan to make sure you understand the expectation of the end-point assessment. Do this at the start of your apprenticeship. Don’t leave this to the end!
Read the occupational brief to make sure that you understand the minimum requirement for each of the high-level competencies.
Develop a style for putting your portfolio together. For example, the 4-step approach of: Defining a digital marketing campaign; Designing a campaign; Build and implementation of a digital marketing campaign; Evaluating campaign success; that we covered here.
Make sure that you are running campaigns as part of your day to day role. This must include the use of social media. If you do not use social media as part of your day to day role, your employer should arrange for you to get training in this area. They need to ensure that you get the opportunity to run at least one campaign. Apprentices will also need to show that they can respond to customer enquiries on a social media platform.
Refer back to the assessment plan and occupational brief on the descriptors for the what, how and with whom. After you have put your portfolio together, think about how you met these descriptors and tailor your commentary in a natural manner to show how you went above and beyond the minimum expected for the standard.
Plan for the synoptic project and think about how your work will show an assessor that you understand the competencies.
Practice for your final interview, make sure that you understand your portfolio, your employer reference and that you are comfortable discussing these in a professional manner.
Complete any English, Maths, Knowledge Modules and Vendor exams as early as you can in your apprenticeship.
Have fun and enjoy your apprenticeship! Treat your portfolio as something that you take to an interview to show the best work that you have done to date.
Other points to consider for end-point assessment
What we have covered here is very specific to the digital marketer apprenticeship. You could also look at some general tips on how to succeed on an apprenticeship. These may help with the approach that you take when preparing for end-point assessment.
If you enjoyed this article and found it helpful, please check back and use it as a reference point throughout the course of your apprenticeship. If you have any other tips, feel free to add a comment.
Occupational maps outline the new structure for employers to provide recognised pathways for apprenticeships and T Levels. Each occupational map shows a pathway of technical, higher technical and professional occupations that shows a progression route available to candidates. Technical occupations typically include level 2 and 3 vocational qualifications that focus on entry-level job roles. Progression is available into higher technical training programmes at level 4 and 5 which offers a natural progression within an organisation. Level 6 and 7 professional qualifications focus on providing more advanced training for job roles that provide a clear progression pathway.
The initial list of occupational maps lie within the following sectors:
Agriculture, environmental and animal care
Business and administration
Care services
Catering and hospitality
Construction
Creative and design
Digital
Education and childcare
Engineering and manufacturing
Hair and beauty
Health and science
Legal finance and accounting
Protective services
Sales marketing and procurement
Transport and logistics
These maps outline a clear structure on typical pathways that a candidate can take. Within the pathways typical job roles and progression routes are outlined by high-level definitions of occupations. Within each defined occupational route, an individual will be able to specialise in a chosen field. This is done by showing competency in a specific vocational qualification. Below we will look at some of the pathways and qualification routes for each of the occupational maps listed above.
Agriculture, environmental and animal care:
The pathways included as part of this occupational map are: Agriculture, Land Management and Production Pathway and Animal Care and Management Pathway.
Under Agriculture, Land Management and Production, a typical technical occupation to start your career would be to work as an Agricultural Engineering Operative or Technician. This type of occupation is covered by qualifications such as the Land Based Service Engineer at level 2 or Land Based Service Engineering Technician at level 3.
To allow for progress the higher technical occupation is an Agricultural Engineering Manager. This includes the Agricultural Diagnostic Technician qualification which looks at managing local support and supply of equipment. The professional occupation is listed as an Agricultural Engineering Professional. This focuses on managing maintenance and sales of agricultural plant and equipment.
The qualifications provided to obtain this professional recognition are: Agricultural Dealership Professional; Agricultural Depot Manager; Agricultural Engineer and Mechanisation Manager. This is just one of seven pathways outlined by this occupational map. Other professions focus on forestry, conservation, landscaping and game/pest control. Each pathway provides a clear progression route. Opportunities are available to progress your career with the same or multiple employers depending on the specialism chosen.
Business and administration occupational map:
The business and administration occupational map provides two different pathways for career progression under the new occupational maps. These are the Human Resources Pathway and Management and Administration Pathway.
As an example, the Human Resources pathway would allow you to work in an entry-level position such as an HR Administrator. The next occupational outlined would be an HR Manager with further progression to an HR professional. A typical qualification route using the qualifications would be HR Support at Level 3 to HR Consultant/Partner at Level 5 to Senior People Professional at Level 7.
The same type of progression opportunity exists for the Management and Administrator pathway. The occupations are: Administrator, Business Manager and Management Professional. Depending on what route an individual takes, they could end up with a higher level qualification such as the level 7 Senior Leaders Masters Degree.
As with the agricultural occupational map, you can see that there are clear progression routes defined by each pathway. There are clear opportunities to undertake work-based training over an extended period of time to achieve higher-level qualifications. The opportunity to earn while you learn and eliminate University costs certainly makes the Business and Administration occupational map a great opportunity for those looking for a career in this field.
Care Sevices occupational map:
At present, there is just one recognised pathway for the care services occupational map. This provides two different progression opportunities.
One route would allow a candidate to start an entry-level position as an Adult Care Worker and complete a technical qualification at level 2. Alternatively, they can complete the Lead adult Care Worker qualification at level 3. The next stage would involve progressing to an Adult Care Manager. An apprentice would complete a higher technical qualification such as: Counsellor, Lead Practitioner in Adult Care at level 4 or the Leader in Adult Care at level 5.
An alternate route would be to specialise in children, young people and families. The typical career progression here is from: Children, Young People and Families Worker to a Children, Young People and Families Manager with further progression to become a Care Services Professional. A suggested pathway using the technical qualifications would be: Playworker at level 2 to Children, Young People and Families Manager at level 5 to a Play Therapist at level 7.
Catering and hospitality:
This map offers two progression pathways which are quite obvious really, the Catering Pathway and the Hospitality Pathway. Presently, there are no recognised professional occupations outlined. However, both pathways still provide a clear progression route to secure full-time professional employment.
A catering candidate could start out on one of the level 2 or 3 qualifications that focus on preparing and cooking food. Some examples of these qualifications would be level 2 Baker or Commis Chef of the Pastry and Confectionery Chef or Senior Production Chef at level 3. The progression route after this to a higher technical occupation would be to a Catering Manager who completes the Senior Culinary Chef qualification at level 4.
For the Hospitality pathway, an individual would progress from a Hospitality Team Member or Supervisor to a Hospitality Manager. The technical qualifications for entry-level positions are Hospitality Team Member at Level 2 and the Hospitality Supervisor at level 3. The higher technical qualification available here is for Hospitality Manager at level 4. This looks at activities such as events management, kitchen management and housekeeping management.
Whilst the higher qualifications are capped at level 4 for catering and hospitality at present, with the Government incentive to drive further career progression opportunities through apprenticeships and T Levels, there should be no limit on how you can progress your career within each field.
Construction occupational map:
The construction occupational map includes 3 pathways as follows: Building Service Engineering Pathway; Design, Surveying and Planning Pathway; Onsite Construction Pathway. These pathways include a vast array of different technical qualifications to provide training coverage for the listed occupations.
The Building Service Engineering Pathway three different occupational routes. These are building services, facilities management, and utilities installation and maintenance. Building services includes an occupational progression from operative/technician progressing to building services engineering technician and through to an engineering professional in this field. One example of a professional qualification is the level 6 Fire Safety Engineer certification.
Under the Design, Surveying and Planning Pathway typical individuals can progress from a technician to advanced technician then become a recognised professional. Some of the higher-level professional qualifications are: level 7 architect, level 6 chartered surveyor degree and level 6 civil engineering degree, to name a few.
The Onsite Construction Pathway covers 4 different occupations. These are: Construction Operate or Supervisor, Specialist types of construction operatives, core building and construction site workers and meal and steel operatives. Currently, the highest obtainable professional qualification across this pathway is the level 6 Construction Site Management degree.
Creative and Design occupational map:
The creative and design occupational map includes the following three pathways, craft and design; cultural heritage and visitor attractions; and media broadcast and production.
Craft and design includes fields such as graphic design, textile designer, model maker and leads to potential professional qualifications such as a fashion, furniture or interior designer. Other specialist occupational focuses are heritage craftsperson leading to a heritage specialist such as a bookbinder or glass craftsperson. The precision manufacturing occupation focuses on providing career opportunities for individuals looking to specialise as a clock or watchmaker; instrument maker or repairer or spectacle maker. Additional occupational areas are also available for those looking to pursue a work-based training opportunity as a fashion or textile professional for saddles, weaving or upholstering.
The cultural heritage and visitor attractions pathway provides opportunities for those that would like to archaeology, collections and museums. Within this pathway a number of higher-level qualifications such as librarian, curator and archaeological specialist exist.
The media broadcast and production provides a wide range of technical, higher technical and professional qualifications. Types of job roles within this sector are limitless really and many different occupational paths and progression routes exist. A number of degree apprenticeship opportunities provide opportunities to undertake professional occupations. Outside of the main pathway the opportunity to gain an entry-level qualification exists through the production arts assistant technical occupation.
Apprenticeship occupational maps summary:
More occupational maps will be added to this article as time progresses but you can see the clear progression routes and clear definition that allows candidates to specialise within their chosen field.
One important aspect of completing the level 4 data analyst apprenticeship is to properly prepare for end-point assessment. A good training provider will share key documentation with you such as the occupational standard, assessment plan and occupational brief. It is important to understand the data analyst occupational brief as this provides the detail on what is expected at EPA. To succeed on the apprenticeship, good apprentices will ensure that they meet the minimum requirements as per the occupational brief.
This is supported by the fact that the assessment plan for the data analyst apprenticeship states that:
The completed portfolio will be assessed against the requirements summarised in the standard and set out in detail in the occupational brief.
Therefore, all good apprentices will consider the full detail outlined in the data analyst occupational brief. The occupational brief described each of the competencies in full detail and gives examples of the types of work that should be included in a portfolio. Using the competency on: Collect and compile data from different sources as an example, the occupational brief will outline the minimum requirement as follows:
Compiling data in preparation for analyses is a core part of data analysis and can involve manually compiling data from multiple sources including: databases, spreadsheets, reports
It’s this type of detail outlined in the data analyst occupational brief that an independent assessor will be looking to see in the portfolio, synoptic project and professional discussion. Our overview of the level 4 data analyst apprenticeship provides detail of the core competencies but the full detail of the occupational brief needs to be included when referencing the core competencies. The occupational brief outlines what needs to be covered for the what to achieve one of the higher grades. In addition to this, it includes the scope of what is required for the how and with whom to work towards one of the higher grades.
Below we have shared the occupational brief to download. Understanding this in relation to the competencies and the what, how and with whom is essential. Only focusing on the occupational standard would be a mistake as the assessment plan clearly outlines the need to consider the occupational brief.
Does gathering, organising and analysing data to help businesses operate efficiently sound good to you? If so, read on to find out how the level 4 data analyst apprenticeship could help start a new career. Alternatively, you could change roles within your current organisation and complete the apprenticeship training.
Jobs and entry criteria for the level 4 data analyst apprenticeship
The data analyst apprenticeship provides opportunities for an apprentice to learn the skills required to perform typical data roles. These include jobs such as: Data Modeller, Data Architect or Data Manager. Data Manager salaries in the UK average at £38k proving that this can be a lucrative career choice. The data analyst apprenticeship provides an excellent opportunity for starting on a pathway that offers excellent career progression opportunities. A salary of £150k is achievable as a Data Modeller and many job opportunities are advertised in this range. It’s not all about money though and data is one of the big career growth areas. You can future proof your career by using the level 4 data analyst apprenticeship as a starting point. You may even be able to use data in the future to identify further progression opportunities!
If this all sounds too good to be true, it’s not! Although normally set by employers, the entry requirements for the data analyst apprenticeship are typically 5 or more GCSEs. Alternatively, a level 3 college course or apprenticeship or maybe even less than this. An employer may hire you regardless of your background if you are the right fit for their organisation. This gives everyone the chance to succeed on this apprenticeship! If you haven’t got up to date English and Maths certificates, you will get the opportunity to complete these if needed.
Key responsibilities of a data analyst apprentice
The primary role of a Data Analyst is to collect, organise and study data to provide business insight. Data analysts are typically involved with managing, cleansing, abstracting and aggregating data, and conducting a range of analytical studies on that data. They work across a variety of projects, providing technical data solutions to a range of stakeholders and customers. Data Analysts document and report the results of data analysis activities making recommendations to improve business performance. As an analyst you will have a good understanding of data structures, database systems and procedures. In addition to this, you will understand how to use a range of analytical tools to undertake different types of analysis.
Level 4 Data Analyst Core Competencies
As part of your job role, you will carry out duties that will satisfy a number of competencies. Some examples are:
identifying and collecting data from internal and external systems
using organisational data/information security standards and procedures when managing data
use database queries to extract data from multiple tables
perform statistical analyses
use techniques such as: data mining, modelling and time-series forecasting to predict trends and patterns
create performance dashboards and reports where needed
perform data cleansing and quality checking
use tools and techniques to summarise, present and visualise data and create reports for stakeholders
The occupational standard, assessment plan and occupational brief for the data analyst apprenticeship help you understand these and other competencies in more detail. These three documents are key to understanding what you should to do to prepare for end-point assessment.
Data analyst knowledge modules and vendor exams
As a data analyst you will need to equip yourself with the knowledge of how to manage data in a secure and professional manner. The knowledge modules and vendor exams will help you understand the following:
data protection legislation
the data life cycle
types of data, i.e. public or open data, research data or administrative data
structured and unstructured data and the difference between both
data structures and database systems and how to implement and maintain these
the domain that data is utilised in and the importance of understanding this
data quality issues and how to manage these
defining customer requirements when analysing data
tools and processes used for data integration
routine data analysis tasks and the what’s involved in carrying these out
To demonstrate that you understand the knowledge covered on the level 4 data analyst apprenticeship, you will need to complete knowledge or vendor exams. The approved knowledge exams outlined in the standard are Data Analysis Tools and Data Analysis Concepts. An apprentice must complete both these exams or the Data Analysis Tools exams can be replaced by the Dell EMC Data Science Associate vendor qualification. Update as of 25th of March, the Dell EMC is no longer a required vendor certification. The IFA updated the standard on 19/03/2020 to reflect this.
Conclusion
As you can see, the level 4 data analyst is an excellent starting point for anyone looking to pursue a career in data. The core skills covered in the apprenticeship will open up a wide range of job opportunities. In addition, you will earn while you learn and excellent progression opportunities exist to advance your career. Some examples are the Level 7 Artificial intelligence (AI) data specialist apprenticeship or the Level 6 Data scientist (integrated degree) apprenticeship. Employers are keen to use apprenticeship to shape how their employees learn and progress. The type of job roles that will open up over the coming years could be endless for anyone that commits their future to a career in data.
In order to get the most out of an apprenticeship, it’s important to take every opportunity available to you. Following some of the apprenticeship tips below will make sure that you understand what is expected of you and help you to succeed in your job role.
Understand the standard:
The most important element of making sure that you get the most out of your apprenticeship is to understand what you are being assessed against. Make sure that you download the occupational standard, assessment plan and occupational brief (if this exists). We would advise you to print these out to discuss with your employer and/or training provider so that you fully understand what is expected within your job role and for end-point assessment.
Plan carefully with your employer:
This is probably the most important aspect of being successful in your apprenticeship. Within your job role, you need to make sure that you can demonstrate the competencies within real-world work tasks. It’s essential that both you and your employer understand what is expected so that you can ensure full coverage against the totality of the standard. This very much links back to understanding the standard but more importantly it means that your job role needs to provide the opportunity to do this. Early planning to make sure that you get the opportunity to work on projects that allow you to achieve coverage over the duration of the apprenticeship is essential. Outline a plan with your employer and training provider to make sure that you plan to include every element of the standard and have regular review meetings to make sure goals are met. It’s important that evidence is assessed throughout to make sure that each element is covered in full across all of your work.
Understand how end-point assessment works:
Another top tip for apprentices and this again links back to understanding the standard is making sure that you know what is required at EPA. The apprenticeship assessment plan will outline this and it’s important to prepare in relation to this. One absolutely essential element of this is to understand how the end-point assessment awarding organisation work and what they will expect to see at EPA. This cannot be stressed enough and all good employers and apprenticeship training providers will consider this as early as possible in the apprenticeship so that you are fully prepared. Some EPAOs work in slightly different ways to others and you need to gather your evidence in line with their expectations to get the best result on your apprenticeship.
Create outstanding evidence that is easy to assess:
Linking back to the previous point and understanding how end-point assessment works, another top tip for apprentices is to make sure that your evidence is easy to assess! A well-structured portfolio or projects with clear reference to the skills, attitudes and behaviours outlined in the standard will make the assessor’s job easier. What you need to understand here is that assessors want to see clear and concise evidence that maps against exactly what you are being assessed on. Using video demonstrations of your very best practical evidence will show that you can function in the workplace in accordance with the skills, attitudes and behaviours of the standard. At this point, you will see that everything is very much linking back to our first apprentice tip which is to understand the standard. Everything revolves around knowing what you are being assessed against and being as concise as possible in presenting evidence to show that you are competent against the expectations of the standard.
Enjoy the experience and take opportunities to learn:
Always remember that an apprenticeship is on the job training and not a college course. You should take pride in putting your evidence together and enjoy the experience. Putting evidence together should be a natural part of your job role if you have carefully planned exactly what you are going to cover within your job role. Be creative about presenting your evidence in a clear and concise manner. Another thing to consider is to take as many opportunities as you can to learn new skills that will contribute towards your development and future career. Evidence of continuous professional development in relation to general work skills and your sector provide further opportunities to show that you are a competent and professional employee. By taking as many opportunities as possible, you will show a willingness and drive to your employer and increase your chances of gaining full-time employment at the end of your apprenticeship. Additionally, this may provide you with the opportunity to build a network of contacts that you would not normally meet when doing your day to day role.
Start any knowledge or vendor exams early:
If there are any vendor exams, functional skills or additional knowledge elements that need to be completed as part of your apprenticeship, do not leave these until the last minute. Make sure that you complete any training and exams as early as possible in the programme as some of the things that you learn may help you within your job role. Completing these as early as possible also ensures that you are not waiting for results towards the expected end date of your apprenticeship as this may cause a delay when completing end-point assessment.
General tips for making a good impression with your employer and customers:
Ask for help: The apprenticeship standards have been designed by the industry for the industry that you work in. With this in mind, you will have a wealth of experience within your organisation that can help you with something that you do not understand.
Learn from others: Very much linked to the previous point, if you see someone who is excelling within your workplace at a specific part of your job role, try to learn from them. Look around at colleagues who are excellent in different areas and ask them to show you what works best so that you pick up a wide range of skills.
Be professional: Get the basic right. An apprenticeship is not a course that you take any more. It’s an employment opportunity to help you build a successful future if you act in a competent and professional manner. Turn up on time, be polite, be professional, be positive, show a willingness to learn and take up opportunities that are presented to you. These are just some key points and remember, every person that you deal with throughout the course of your apprenticeship could be a potential client or future employer. Try to make a good impression at all times.
Be confident: When you understand the standard and plan with your employer and/or training provider to make sure that you will be ready for EPA, be confident about how you go about your job role. If you know what you are being assessed against, the EPA process should be easy and it’s an opportunity to show off what you learned and that you are a proficient and professional person that can operate effectively within the standard outlining your industry sector. You get out what you put into an apprenticeship and if you understand what is expected and have done the hard work, be confident in your ability to excel within the workplace and when completing end-point assessment.
Understand your industry: This links back to a number of the previous points, it’s important to understand your industry so that you show evidence against any expected skills, attitudes or behaviours in relation to the industry. Try to focus on showing that you are competent within the specific sector of your apprenticeship when you present evidence rather than showing that you have general work skills. Obviously, you do need to develop good general working skills but understanding your industry and always considering how to work best within the legal and ethical requirements of this industry will make you stand out as a specialist.
Plan your future: An apprenticeship is an opportunity to gain full-time employment and you should consider this at all time. Be open and honest with your employer if you would like to gain full-time employment at the end of the apprenticeship and actively discuss where you can see yourself progressing within the organisation when you can. The key point here is to ensure that you do not get to the end of your apprenticeship and find out that there is no job for you. Ensure you are well prepared to progress within your organisation or elsewhere depending on your personal preference and opportunities. If you are not happy within your current organisation and want to plan a future beyond this after completing your apprentice, make sure that you are ready for this, which takes is on to our next point.
Build networks: As previously mentioned, everyone that you deal with throughout your apprenticeship could be a potential employer or client. Although the key aim of an apprenticeship is to secure full-time employment when completed, this is not always the case. Don’t be afraid to create a network of contacts that may be able to help you in the future if things do not work out with your current employer.
Conclusion:
The apprenticeship tips outlined above should help you maintain a focus throughout your apprenticeship. A lot of things mentioned relate to demonstrating professionalism and a willingness to succeed. Going through each of the points though, one thing stands oout and this is understanding the standard. The number one apprentice tip that we could give you is definitely to make sure that you understand what is included in the apprenticeship and how this will be assessed. You are supported by your employer and/or a training organisation but to make sure you get the best out of your apprenticeship, you should take ownership of it and make sure that you understand exactly what is expected.
As of March 2020, this is the list of the 21 approved digital apprenticeships ranging from level 3 to level 7. The range is quite varied and there are a number of progression routes from level 3 to level 7 if an employer considers how an apprentice’s role can evolve within the business.
Digital Apprenticeships:
Level 6 Creative digital design professional Apprenticeship Level 4 Cyber intrusion analyst Apprenticeship Level 6 Cyber security technical professional (integrated degree) Apprenticeship Level 4 Cyber security technologist Apprenticeship Level 4 Data analyst Apprenticeship Level 6 Data scientist (integrated degree) Apprenticeship Level 6 Digital and technology solutions professional (integrated degree) Apprenticeship Level 7 Digital and technology solutions specialist (integrated degree) Apprenticeship Level 4 Digital community manager Apprenticeship Level 3 Digital support technician Apprenticeship Level 6 Digital user experience (UX) professional (integrated degree) Apprenticeship Level 3 Infrastructure technician Apprenticeship Level 4 IS business analyst Apprenticeship Level 3 IT solutions technician Apprenticeship Level 3 Network cable installer Apprenticeship Level 4 Network engineer Apprenticeship Level 4 Software developer Apprenticeship Level 3 Software development technician Apprenticeship Level 4 Software tester Apprenticeship Level 3 Unified communications technician Apprenticeship Level 4 Unified communications trouble shooter Apprenticeship
The slide share below was created to display these in a more visually appealing format.
As a digital marketer apprentice, you will gain a wide range of skills that are transferable to other sectors along with specialist digital marketing skills. By hiring you as a digital marketing apprentice, your employer will commit to allowing you to run a number of digital marketing campaigns. This will include different types of campaigns over a variety of platforms including social media. You will develop written communication skills for general planning and collaboration as well as for engaging targeted audiences through digital campaigns.
In addition to running campaigns, you will get to look at campaign performance data and perform analysis to spot customer trends and behaviour. By using a number of digital tools and platforms to look at campaigns, you will understand how to optimise current and future campaigns by seeing what has and has not worked well.
Customer service and relationships should form an important part of any digital marketing role. Employers that hire an apprentice have committed to allowing them to answer customer enquiries over at least three digital platforms. Social media must be used to answer customer enquiries and both internal and external customers should be considered. Digital marketer apprentices are also encouraged to develop an array of problem-solving techniques that can be used to deal with customer and investigate campaign success.
A level 3 digital marketer apprentice must cover at least two of the specialist areas in digital marketing, which are: search marketing, SEO, PPC, web analytics & metrics, mobile apps or email marketing. When learning about these specialist areas, you will gain the skills needed to optimise campaigns using the data and lessons learned. These specialist areas are also part of the knowledge element of the apprenticeship. With this in mind, all good training providers and employers will make sure that you fully understand them and that you are ready for end-point assessment.
A digital marketer apprentice will need to gain exposure to using a wide range of industry standard marketing platforms such as Google Analytics, Google Trends, Bing Ads, Mailchimp, WordPress, Canva, Pocket, Unsplash, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Tweetdeck and many more. You will also need to look at using business tools such as Excel or customer relationship management systems to analyse data in more detail. Alongside this, general office communication tools will be used to deal with internal and external stakeholders.
As you can see the digital marketer apprenticeship will give you an excellent grounding in the skills and tools need to be a well rounded digital marketer and valuable employee. Whilst the apprenticeship itself does include a wide range of digital marketing skills, many apprentices will move towards becoming a specialist in a particular area of digital marketing after they have mastered the basics. This is an excellent apprenticeship and there is the opportunity to progress and gain a degree in the same field by doing the Digital Marketer Integrated Degree after completing the level 3 apprenticeship. Interested? Look for apprenticeship jobs in digital marketing through the government website or trusted training providers and employers. Best of luck with starting your career in digital marketing!
There is currently over 100 approved Engineering & Manufacturing apprenticeship available for employers and apprentices in the UK. These apprenticeships cover a wide range of industry fields such as water treatment, aerospace, fashion, rail engineering and gas networks. This shows the diversity of choice available for Engineering Apprenticeships.
Engineering apprenticeships are offered from level 2 up to level 7 Masters degree and there is a number of progression opportunities for different industry types.
Manufacturing & Engineering Apprenticeships:
Level 2: Abattoir worker Level 3: Accident Repair Technician Level 3: Advanced Baker Level 5: Advanced dairy technologist Level 6: Aerospace engineer (degree) Level 6: Aerospace software development engineer (degree) Level 4: Aircraft maintenance certifying engineer Level 2: Autocare technician Level 3: Automotive glazing technician Level 2: Aviation maintenance mechanic (military) Level 2: Bicycle mechanic Level 3: Boatbuilder Level 4: Brewer Level 3: Bus and coach engineering technician Level 3: Composites Technician Level 6: Control / technical support engineer (degree) Level 6: Electrical / electronic technical support engineer (degree) Level 4: Electrical Power Networks Engineer Level 4: Electrical power protection and plant commissioning engineer Level 6: Embedded electronic systems design and development engineer (degree) Level 3: Engineering design and draughtsperson Level 3: Engineering fitter Level 2: Engineering operative Level 3: Engineering Technician Level 3: Fashion and textiles pattern cutter Level 4: Fashion and textiles product technologist Level 6: Food and drink advanced engineer (degree) Level 3: Food and drink advanced process operator Level 3: Food and drink maintenance engineer Level 2: Food and drink process operator Level 2: Footwear manufacturer Level 2: Furniture manufacturer Level 3: Gas network craftsperson Level 2: Gas network team leader Level 2: General welder (arc processes) Level 3: Heavy vehicle service and maintenance technician Level 3: Heritage engineering technician Level 4: High Speed Rail & Infrastructure Technician Level 3: Leisure & Entertainment Engineering Technician Level 3: Lift and escalator electromechanic Level 3: Maintenance and operations engineering technician Level 6: Manufacturing engineer (degree) Level 6: Manufacturing manager (degree) Level 3: Marine Engineer Level 2: Maritime electrical / mechanical mechanic Level 7: Materials process engineer (Degree) Level 3: Metal casting, foundry & patternmaking technician Level 3: Metal fabricator Level 2: Mineral and construction product sampling and testing operations Level 2: Mineral Processing Mobile and Static Plant Operator Level 2: Mineral processing weighbridge operator Level 3: Motor vehicle service and maintenance technician (light vehicle) Level 3: Motorcycle technician (repair and maintenance) Level 3: Multi-positional welder (arc processes) Level 2: Non-destructive testing (NDT) operator Level 6: Non-destructive testing engineer (degree) Level 3: Non-destructive testing engineering technician Level 2: Nuclear health physics monitor Level 2: Nuclear Operative Level 6: Nuclear scientist and nuclear engineer (degree) Level 5: Nuclear Technician Level 4: Nuclear welding inspection technician Level 6: Ordnance munitions and explosives (OME) professional Level 6: Packaging professional (degree) Level 3: Papermaker Level 7: Post graduate engineer Level 7: Power engineer (degree) Level 3: Power network craftsperson Level 7: Process automation engineer (degree) Level 4: Process leader Level 6: Product design and development engineer (degree) Level 3: Project controls technician Level 4: Propulsion technician Level 5: Rail & rail systems engineer Level 7: Rail & rail systems principal engineer (degree) Level 6: Rail & rail systems senior engineer (degree) Level 4: Rail engineering advanced technician Level 2: Rail engineering operative Level 3: Rail engineering technician Level 3: Refrigeration air conditioning and heat pump engineering Technician Level 7: Risk and safety management professional (degree) Level 4: Road transport engineering manager Level 3: Science industry maintenance technician Level 6: Science industry process/plant engineer (degree) Level 2: Science Manufacturing Process Operative Level 3: Science manufacturing technician Level 2: Sewing Machinist Level 2: Specialist tyre operative Level 3: Survival equipment fitter Level 7: Systems engineering (degree) Level 2: Textile care operative Level 2: Textile manufacturing operative Level 3: Utilities engineering technician Level 4: Vehicle damage assessor Level 3: Vehicle damage mechanical, electrical and trim (MET) technician Level 3: Vehicle damage paint technician Level 3: Vehicle damage panel technician Level 3: Water process technician Level 3: Water treatment technician
