Apprenticeship standard

My Top Tips for completing “Implementation Competency” in L3 Digital Marketing

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Digital Marketing Featured Image

Image Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/brandspot/pr-spot/the-post-pandemic-rise-of-digital-marketing-in-india-1154645.html

Have you just started your summative portfolio and/or are you struggling to process how to complete the “Implementation” Competency? Well you have come to the right place! As this blog post will cover one of the many competencies you will need to complete within your Digital Marketing (DM) Summative Portfolio.

What is the ‘Implementation’ Competency & Summative Portfolio?

The summative portfolio is a document that holds all your evidence of projects you have completed within the duration of your apprenticeship at work. It is recommended to start working on your portfolio as soon as you obtain your occupational brief in order to make your workload more manageable. You should also absorb any information and try to take part in many projects as you can to gather more evidence for your portfolio to write about, the more the merrier – from here you can choose which projects you believe are your best projects to present.

In your Summative Portfolio you are aiming to complete all competencies in order to get ready for Gateway. We will be going through one of the competencies today which is ‘Implementation’ Competency as I would like to show others how this competency is actually far more manageable and easier once you understand how to complete it to the best you can.

Why do I need to do the Implementation Competency?

In order to complete your L3 Digital Marketing Apprenticeship, you will need to complete main things which are:

  • Summative portfolio – You will need to aim and complete all competencies from the occupational brief. (We will be going through one of the competencies out of all to help you kick start your portfolio)
  • Exams – Complete all required examinations within the apprenticeship.
  • Synoptic Project – Choose either Project A or Project B to do (this will take place once you go through your gateway)
  • Employer Reference – A reference document that your employer completes to refer back to your portfolio work to show you have completed all competencies successfully.
  • End-Point Assessment Interview – this is where you will showcase your portfolio and synoptic project mainly and be assessed on this.  

Tips on understanding how to complete the ‘Implementation’ Competency

I was one of many apprentices who struggled to tick off the competency ‘Implementation’. You need to aim to hit the Pass criteria minimum in the occupational brief. In order to achieve the Pass criteria for this competency, “To meet this competency the apprentice will need to build and implement campaigns across at least 3 different digital media, including social media platforms.” Remember they must be all different types of Implementation so avoid doing the same extra implementation that won’t count as another since you already showcased it. For example three different pay per click platforms (e.g. Google Ads PPC, Amazon PPC, Facebook Ads) would not be three different digital media.

Out of the options below, you will choose three different ones and showcase a project about each of the three different types you chose:

  • Email – Email marketing campaign
  • Social – Organic Social Campaign
  • Affiliate – Affiliate marketing
  • Mobile Apps – Mobile app development
  • PPC – Google Ads PPC, Facebook Ads
  • Display – Google Ads, display/video
  • SEO – Off Page SEO, On Page SEO (technical)

These may come across as if they are a lot of options to take in but we will go through a few steps/tips I used for my own personal experience in ensuring I managed this workload correctly.

Tip 1 – Creating a plan

I know it is easy to say to create a plan however for each individual it differs how one may choose to plan their schedule and work out. I used a project management tool called Asana on my laptop to maintain all my work on and easily edit and add to whenever and wherever I wanted to; that too all online. Asana is a great tool to use to manage your tasks, projects, you are even able to collaborate with others on a task and are easily able to keep them updated with a simple click.

Asana Product Guide Screenshot

Image Source: https://asana.com/guide/help/projects/templates

Furthermore, it is very vital for you to plan out any project you’re doing beforehand and ensuring you are keeping both your coach and line manager up-to-date with the work you will do. This is because this will allow your coach and line manager to begin helping you with job shadowing, understanding how to portray your project, what screenshots you will need to showcase within your portfolio. Having a simple online tool or a notebook to utilise is great as it will act almost like a checklist and evidence of proof-reading your work before submitting it. Another useful tip when writing up your projects in your portfolio use the STAR framework.

Tip 2 – Aligning with the team

Understand which implementation projects you are able to have responsibility for and align this work with your line manager/colleagues who are able to provide you with a job responsibility for that specific implementation. For example for SEO, you could choose to do SEO On Page where it will require you to work with someone in your team who works in SEO and Analytics team and you are able to go through what tools (SEMRush) they use to do a free site audit check, etc. Make sure you ask for an email outline of what will be needed from your presence within the project and ensure you are aligned with required colleagues for this project such as arranging time together. This can be done with using a conference technology tool such as Google Meets.

Tip 3 – Having a back – to – back responsibility

It is required that you showcase evidence of the whole process of the project. There may be in some projects you do not have all responsibility in however you showing that you was involved throughout the process by capturing screenshots of the whole process; as you will be presenting all these screenshots with annotations within your portfolio to create a step – by – step process. Or you can place all screenshots in chronological order then come back later to write up in further detail.

Tip 4 – STAR Framework

Another useful tip when writing up your projects in your portfolio, use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result)

Tip 5 – Saving/Uploading your Work

Ensure all your work is organised such as using Google Drive to save/upload your work on and using folders in your drive to neatly organise everything. Like this you will easily label your work and find it much easily.

Always save your work elsewhere too as a backup. For example, I saved all my stuff on Google Drive mainly but I always also saved it on my USB stick just in case the Google servers may be down thus I can’t access my Google Drive however, I can access my personal USB stick and haven’t lost any of my work as a result.

Conclusion

I hope you found this blog post useful! If you have any questions or comments please reply below this post and I will try my utmost best to help where I can. Explore our other blogs written by apprentices here.

Learn more: LinkedIn , Twitter

Hire Controller (Plants, Tools & Equipment) – The apprenticeship tips

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What is an apprenticeship?

An apprenticeship is the opportunity to work and learn on the job with qualified individuals spearheading your development.
An Apprenticeship allows you to get a qualification in a range of fields while getting that valuable on job experience that you wouldn’t otherwise get the opportunity to have while being within a controlled classroom environment.
For example, building a career as a Hire Controller isn’t something you’d be taught in a classroom.

Furthermore as an employee you’ll also be able to learn while you earn and be paid for your time both within working hours and within any “off the job” hours.
As it’s the employers aim to hire you, you know that you’ll receive the best training they can provide and all the support you’d need to succeed both in and out of the office/worksite.
There are many factors that can affect your eligibility for an apprenticeship ranging from your age to past qualifications however due to the vast amount of offerings across a range of sectors you’ll always be able to find one that suits your needs!

Overall there are a bunch of benefits when it comes to an apprenticeship, aside from the ones mentioned above, some benefits include: the opportunity to avoid student debt, the opportunity to get some experience within a field before making a lifetime commitment to the field & a almost guaranteed job as you finish your education.

Hire Controller – Providing specialist plant, tools, machinery or equipment on short or long-term hire.

Apprenticeship
Do you enjoy the construction industry and have the ability to inventory manage? Hire Controller might be the perfect apprenticeship for you.

Role Details:
During this apprenticeship the apprentice will offering support on a range of specialist equipment such as power tools for drilling or cranes for excavation. The hire controller is a key member of the team as it is their job to understand the operation of equipment, health, safety and environmental considerations and can advise customers on the right plant, tools or equipment for a job and how to use it. This role helps build your responsibility as you’d be the go to person for technical advice and instruction for customers and the person responsible for ensuring stock is maintained to the required standard, helping to ensure that all legal, health, safety and environmental requirements are met. Not to worry as your team will be there to support you within your role.

Typical Duties:
Providing Technical Support for commercial construction & domestic customers to help them select and use equipment for planned activities.
Ensuring hired equipment is compliant with health and safety requirements

Skills needed:
Customer Service – Response to customer enquires and offer support in accordance with company policy
IT – Use of organisational technology, IT and systems
Finance – Being able to provide and explain hiring costs and associated costs e.g damages
Communication – To be able to communicate legal, technical, safety and environmental information
And many more!

Apprenticeship details:
Entry Requirements – Individual requirements dependent on employer however apprentices without level 1 English or Maths will be required to complete a level 2 qualification before the end of the course
Duration – 12-18 months
Level – 2

If this sounds like you! Apply today here!

Apprenticeships hire Controller Apprenticeship Work
We look forward to seeing you succeed!

Doesn’t sound like you?

We have a wide range of apprenticeship opportunities available and information can be found at: https://www.apprenticetips.com

Enquiry today and start building for the future now!

What is involved in a Level 3 Digital Marketing Apprenticeship?

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Do you have a strong interest in Digital Marketing? Are you eager to learn about the digital world? Do you have a passion for online marketing including social media, the promotion of helping brands grow online? Then this is the right qualification for you!

Why is Digital Marketing so important?

Digital marketing is a critical part of the survival of a businesses online presence. It allows businesses to connect with their customers online through SEO and PPC via social media on email marketing (which is something you will learn in this apprenticeship)! Here a few things that you should know about this Level 3 Qualification in Digital Marketing:

Duration

This is an 18 months Level 3 Apprenticeship in Digital Marketing.

Portfolio

During your 18 months completing this course, you will need to document your work and this should be done through creating a portfolio which shows evidence of the things that you have worked on and completed throughout the apprenticeship. Your portfolio will be assessed towards the end of the apprenticeship by an end point assessor to see if you have met all your competencies. A competency is a skill and you should be able to show that you have demonstrated this through your work. The overall aim of this is to showcase what you have learnt and how you have applied it in an everyday scenario.

Trainings

Eventually you will undergo training with your training provider in order to ensure you are learning the relevant skills as a part of your apprenticeship. Then you will go over content that is relevant for your exams and the world of digital marketing.

What is OTJ?

OTJ (Off the Job Training) is something that you must complete in order to gain your qualification at the end of the apprenticeship. As an apprentice, you will work for your employer 80% of the time and the other 20% of the time will go towards training, exams, completing your portfolio and essentially any learning and development. Off the job training must be directly relevant to your qualification. These can include:

  • Attending events relating to your industry
  • Getting inspired by stories & articles
  • Signing yourself up for programs that will develop you personally and professionally
  • Work shadowing
  • Online resources e.g. ted talks, YouTube videos or podcasts 
  • Spending time working on your coursework/portfolio 
  • Coach or line manager meetings (this shows personal growth and development)
  • Networking (virtually or in-person)
  • Workplace training

Exams

You will need to complete three exams in order to receive your qualification at the end. These include: 

  1. Level 3 Digital Marketer in Marketing Principles
  2. Level 3 Digital Marketer in Principles of Coding
  3. Google Analytics Individual Qualification

End Point Assessment

Your end point assessment will consist of a few things:

  1. Gateway
  2. A completed portfolio 
  3. Passing all 3 exams
  4. Synoptic Project
  5. EPA (End Point Assessment) Interview

What is Gateway?

Gateway is a meeting where you hand in all the relevant documents that are required for completing the apprenticeship. You will have your line manager and digital marketing coach in the meeting where you will sign the employer reference, upload your exam certificates and portfolio.

What is a Synoptic Project?

The synoptic project plays an important role in your end point assessment. This project is designed for you to show evidence of completing competencies in the apprenticeship standard. You will begin this project a minimum of 5 days after your gateway meeting. You have four working days to complete this which should be completed in a controlled environment, usually away from work and during this time you shouldn’t complete any work-related tasks.

Once you have completed Gateway and Synoptic Project, you have to submit your synoptic project and you will have your EPA Interview 10 days within submission of your project.

What is the EPA Interview?

The EPA interview consists of a 1.5-2 hour professional discussion about your portfolio and synoptic project.

Conclusion

As someone who is personally coming towards the end of their apprenticeship, If you are interested in all the things that I mentioned, then I believe that this would be a great opportunity to build the foundations of your career in Digital Marketing. Feel free to refer to the Digital Marketer Standard where you will learn more in-depth about the skills and knowledge this course has to offer.

If you have any questions or queries regarding this apprenticeship or any others, feel free to reach out to us via our LinkedIn, Twitter or Website!

Skills A Digital Marketer Needs

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Digital Marketing

The primary role of a digital marketer is to define, design build and implement digital campaigns across a number of different platforms, in hopes to create maximum noise for your business or organisation. What makes the ideal digital marketer? Well, we have collected the key skills required to create the best possible candidate for this role.

The skills required to become an innovating Digital Marketer

  • Logical and creative thinking skills
  • Analytical and Problem Solving Skills
  • Ability to work independently and to take responsibility
  • Ability to communication in various situations

1. Logical & Creative Thinking Skills

One of the more predominant skills to have as a digital marketing guru. Having the ability to breakdown analytical data and understanding the figures such as an email marketing campaign on Mailchimp. A digital marketer must suggest reasons a campaign may have succeeded/underperformed by using an open-minded approach and suggesting things which have not been mentioned before. This will allow you to stand out within your role. The ability to solve-problems with a well organised plan of action will deliver the best results in regards to your marketing campaigns.

2. Analytical & Problem Solving Skills

A digital marketer will work closely to Google analytics. Set tasks such as site performance, traffic and organic growth reports can be viewed within google analytics. Depending on the data on display, it is the marketers duty to evaluate this data. If any problems were to come forward, this would mean that the digital marketer would take this into their own hand, being able to solve the problem using initiative.

3. Ability to work independently & take responsibility

The marketing department is always going to change and this is because of external factors such as trends. It is a digital marketers duty to pay close attention to these trends and find ways to implement these into their own work. This is a huge liability but, a responsibility which displays leadership, initiative and awareness. This will definitely impress your marketing manager!

4. Ability to communicate in various situations

Communication is a key skill in which we all know the predominance of however, being able to master communication in various situations is a skill in itself. Some days it is all sunshine and rainbows but, other days may not be as electrifying within the marketing department. Work load maybe getting the better of you and you may feel glued to your seat for hours. Maybe a hostile bug has crashed your site or a hacker has crashed your Instagram page. In a situation like this, it is vital to remain composed.

An Overview

With the right skills in place, digital marketing can be made easy for all!

These key skills will be further sharpened and developed over time during your digital marketing course so do not feel overwhelmed and remember that patience is key and the key is needed for success and success cannot be rushed therefore you must be patient.

Any questions or quires which you may have regarding digital marketing apprenticeships, feel free to head over to our LinkedIn or Twitter page and join the discussion, by giving us a message or you can simply view our blog relating to digital marketing. We hope to hear from you soon!

Level 3 – Crop Technician Apprenticeship

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Crop Technician Apprenticeship - Agricultural.

Why Choose an Agricultural Apprenticeship?

In fact, Agricultural and horticultural industries account for more than 14% of the British GDP, as they are the foundation for both the food and landscaping industries. Thus, they offer a wide variety of career opportunities both in the UK and abroad.

What is a Crop Technician Apprenticeship?

During the crop technician apprenticeship, you’ll be responsible for optimising crop or plant yields through establishment, management, harvest and post-harvest operations, while maintaining and improving the surrounding environment. You’ll also need to keep up to date with technological advances and new innovations.

What will I learn from an Agricultural Apprenticeship?

TaskSkills
Overarching Promote and maintain health, safety and security
Manage accurate records within the workplace.
Maintain and operate machinery and other equipment to allow safe and efficient operation.
Crop Establishment Prepare seed bed/growing medium for maximum growth potential.
Carry out relevant establishment of crops for efficient growth.
Vehicle Operation Competently operate (to the equivalent of a certified level) a relevant vehicle used in the business.
Crop Management Control of pests, weeds and diseases including safe use, application and storage of chemicals.
Carry out plant nutrient application and/or irrigation tasks if applicable to aid growth of crop.
Harvest Carry out harvesting operations including assessment of timing and quality.
Appropriate harvesting techniques to match crop condition and quality requirements.
Operate to high levels of hygiene.
Storage Store crops in suitable conditions to maintain quality.
Maintenance and Preparation Soil/substrate maintenance tasks to ensure efficient and healthy growth of the crop/plant.
Soil/substrate sampling and acting upon results as appropriate to ensure nutrition is correct.

Apprenticeship Details

Duration: 24 months

Level: 3

Entry requirements: There are no previous qualifications required. Although you must have the attitude and ability to develop the required skills and knowledge during the apprenticeship. This is usually be tested in an application/interview process.

Alternative job titles: Arable technician, Horticulture operative.

EQA Provider: Ofqual

Certificates awarded

Level 2 Awards in: Safe Use of Pesticides – On completion of the pesticides foundation unit above also choose one of the following units:

  • Boom sprayer, mounted, trailed or self-propelled equipment
  • Granular applicator equipment
  • Handheld applicator equipment

Level 3 award in Emergency First Aid at Work – Apprentices without Level 2 English and Math’s will need to achieve this level prior to taking the ESA.

Behaviours of an Apprentice

It is important for apprentices to develop a diverse set of personal skills and behaviours in order to succeed in their chosen profession. Some of these include:

  • A strong work ethic
  • Adaptable
  • Effective communicator
  • Team Worker
  • A good awareness of safety

Stay informed!

You can also follow us for more updates, We are on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

For more information:

Read more on Apprenticeships

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Top Tips for Showing Customer Service in the Level 3 Digital Marketing Apprenticeship

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When it comes to the coursework projects for the Digital Marketing Apprenticeship, the competencies and behaviours you are expected to demonstrate on the whole look after themselves. Competencies such as Data Analytics, showing specialisms in two of four areas including SEO and PPC, and using digital tools effectively are part and parcel of a marketing apprentice’s day-to-day job. There is one competency that is a bit harder to demonstrate, however, and this is competency number 5 – customer service. This blog will explain how to demonstrate the competency of customer service in the Level 3 Digital Marketing Apprenticeship with minimal stress.

Why Is It a Challenge?

In most businesses, marketing and customer service are two different functions. While the two teams will liaise with each other to ensure consistency of messaging and to discuss customer feedback and needs, day-to-day operations are conducted separately. Because of this separation, it is not always easy, especially in larger businesses, for a marketer to involve themselves in customer service. I struggled with this element despite working in a small tech startup.

Customer Service in the Digital Marketing Apprenticeship can be difficult.

So, how can this challenge be overcome?

1: What You Do May already Count as Customer Service

For something you do to qualify as meeting the customer service competency criteria, you must directly engage with the customer. There is a distinct possibility you do this already without necessarily realising it.

For example, many companies will send out customer feedback surveys (this is most likely to be in the form of an NPS survey). As a marketer, you are likely to be involved in all email output, and will have a role in setting up and sending out this survey. In the process of creating this email, if you tailor the thank you message after the customer has submitted their feedback depending on the feedback they have given (i.e. positive or negative), this counts as customer service, as you are telling them that their criticism will be addressed if the feedback is negative, or that you are delighted that they love the product or service if the feedback is positive. It should be said at this point that simply sending newsletters, no matter how segmented the mailing list, is not enough – there must be that additional level of tailored communication directly with the customer.

While this is not the most explicit example of customer service, if you are in a company that has very separate marketing and customer service functions, this is a potentially very good way of collecting evidence of customer service without needing to organise some time with the customer service team.

Social Media

The other area where this can apply is if you are in charge of social media output. It is not uncommon for queries to be raised directly to your employer’s social media accounts – which, in my case, only I had full access too. It was therefore incumbent upon me to respond to them, which I did after discussing the issue with customer service.

Being in charge of social media accounts is also a great way to document evidence of customer service. This is particularly important as the requirements of the course are at least one example of customer service has to be on a social media platform. If your role does not entail you having access to the company social media accounts, or having permission to communicate with customers, an arrangement will have to be made with the customer service team for you to respond to a customer query or two under supervision.

If you are not confident with using social media, we recently wrote an article on using social media during your apprenticeship will help to boost your confidence!

2: Getting Help

Asking for help with customer service.

Depending on your exact day-to-day role and responsibilities, there may not be a chance to demonstrate the required customer service skills without help. If you are concerned that you may not be able to demonstrate the customer service skills you will need to, raise this with your employer and LDC as soon as possible, and an agreement will be reached about having to spend a small period of time with the customer service team to demonstrate this competency.

Conclusion

In short, customer service is the hardest competency to meet in your coursework projects. It is not impossible, however. Course providers are used to it being an issue for apprentices, and it is in the employer’s interest that they ensure you are able to meet all the competencies. Let them know if you think it will be an issue, and you should have few issues demonstrating this competency.

Level 3 Digital Engineering Technician Apprenticeship

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Image of a man and a woman looking at a digital representation of an engineering plan. Paper engineering plans on the table in front of them.

Do you have a passion to help a wider team complete complex tasks using digital techniques? If this sounds like it would suit you, read on to find out how the Level 3 Digital Engineering Technician apprenticeship could help start your new career.

Key Responsibilities of a Digital Engineering Technician Apprentice

A Digital Engineering Technician helps produce detailed solutions to achieve the best performance of built environment projects through the use of digital models and presentations produced using software, sketches and electronic visualisations. This role will help support Digital Engineers and other functional specialists in completing complex tasks using digital techniques.

Entry Requirements for the Level 3 Digital Engineering Technician Apprenticeship

What does it take to get on a digital engineering technician apprenticeship? The typical entry requirements for this apprenticeship are 5 GCSEs or equivalent, including Maths and English; or a Level 2 apprenticeship. Employers may have their own entry requirements, so it is best to check with them to see what they ask for.

Core Competencies of a Digital Engineering Technician Apprentice

The course lasts 36 months, not including the End-Point Assessment (EPA) period. During this time, you will carry out many duties that could help fulfil different core competencies which you will be assessed on. Examples of some duties include:

  • Virtualisation and simulation;
  • Digital management of design, production and management of assets;
  • Communicate complex engineering principles to stakeholders;
  • Integration of construction data and information;
  • Follow the standards and regulation of digital information.

Digital Engineering Technician Knowledge Modules

Throughout this apprenticeship, you will have the opportunity to learn whilst on the job. However, you will also have knowledge modules that will help you understand:

  • Health and safety industry regulations, and how to identify basic health and safety outputs digitally
  • Sustainability issues in projects across various aspects
  • How engineering principles, codes and standards work in built environment
  • Principles of the commercial procedures and reporting on stages of construction project
  • Quantification and costing within a digital environment
  • How design brief proposals are prepared
  • Aware of how to apply technology and the human to technology interfaces
  • The importance of project planning and resourcing
  • The quality required throughout the lifecycle
  • The construction industry and its sectors
  • Awareness of objectives set by clients and employers
  • Basic research techniques to ensure integrity of knowledge discovery

The apprenticeship will help you understand these knowledge, skills and behaviours which will help you in your future career and further qualifications if you decide to continue pursuing this career path.

Qualifications You’ll Earn from the Digital Engineering Technician Apprenticeship

Once you have completed a digital engineering technician apprenticeship, you will gain qualifications in the following:

  • English and Maths will be required to be demonstrated at Level 2;
  • BTEC Level 3 Construction and the Built Environment;
  • NVQ Level 3 Diploma in Built Environment Design.

These qualifications are equivalent to A-levels.

Female civil engineer discusses theme park attraction plans on a laptop
Photo by ThisisEngineering RAEng on Unsplash

Potential Jobs and Future Career

After completing this apprenticeship, you could progress to Construction Design Manager, Construction Quantity Surveyor, Construction Site Manager, and Civil Engineering Site Manager. Should you want to pursue a job as a Construction Design Manager, they apply similar skills that you would learn on this apprenticeship, such as commercial awareness, communication, and attention to detail. Construction Design Managers have an average salary of £25,000 to £90,000 so it is a lucrative career that you could look at developing in.

Other careers like Construction Quantity Surveyor have salaries that start from £25,000 and could go up to £80,000 at senior management levels. Similar to Construction Design Managers, this role has skills that can be applied that you will learn on the digital engineering technician apprenticeship.

The digital engineering technician apprenticeship has been designed to deliver the right competencies, knowledge and understanding to meet the requirements of Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) or other industry affiliated schemes, so you will not be ill-equipped if you decide to continue pursuing a career in this field.

Professional Regulation

As mentioned, the knowledge, skills and behaviours from this apprenticeship are required to help achieve Technician/Associate status through the following professional institutions:

The professional review process is also included in the assessment process of the apprenticeship.

Conclusion

For someone considering a construction career, this apprenticeship is a great starting point to get the transferable skills you need to continue developing as a digital engineering technician. A Digital Engineering Technician Apprenticeship will allow you to gain qualifications which will give you a strong foothold in further qualifications and professional regulations in this sector. In addition to learning and building your skills, you will be able to earn money and work in a real work environment, equipping you with the skills needed to succeed as you develop your career.

For more information on other related apprenticeships, take a look at our posts on other apprenticeship standards:

Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) Operator – Level 2 Apprenticeship

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Non destructive testing operator surveying large metal pipe for quality check

Step into the world of science-based engineering with the Non-Destructive Testing Operator Apprenticeship. If you’re looking to start a career in some of the biggest industries in the world such as Oil & Gas, Aerospace, Energy, Power, Nuclear, and Transport, look no further as NDT qualifications can provide you with opportunities for all of the above. Read on to find out if the Non-Destructive Testing Operator Apprenticeship is the right fit for you.

Job Opportunities and Entry Criteria

Non-Destructive Testing Apprenticeships can provide a vast array of opportunities to kick start you into a well-paying career. Some of these include training in the product technology industry sector, education into NDT methods, and working as part of a team with workers at a similar level to yourself and of a superior level, allowing you to make contacts within the industry and potentially progress within the ranks

Entry level salaries after the completion of an apprenticeship usually start at around £26,000 and can go up to anything from £55,000 a year for experienced engineer level employees. If that isn’t enough to get you interested, some big organisations involved in creating the standard for the Non-Destructive Testing Operator were The British Institute of NDT, and Rolls Royce, meaning that popular companies similar to these organisations are sure to have a need for hiring NDT Operators.

Non-destructive testing operator surveying plane engine parts to ensure they are quality checked before being installed

Apprenticeship Entry Requirements

There are no educational entry requirements for this role, however you will need to achieve a level 1 in English and Maths in a level 2 English and maths test prior to taking the end-point assessment when completing the apprenticeship if you have not already achieved this through GCSEs. You will also be required to pass the NDT eyesight test, meaning you should have good, aided eyesight or good unaided eyesight for health and safety reasons. Adequate physical fitness is also beneficial for this role.

Daily duties and Primary responsibilities

On a day-to-day basis an NDT Operator Apprentice can expect to take part in some of the following tasks:

  • Inspection of materials, welding, and other product components or items using one NDT method
  • Report defects on the external surface of a test item or component
  • Visually assess and inspect products
  • Refer inspection results to a more qualified member of staff
  • Training and safe use of equipment used for inspections and assessments
  • Being forthcoming to your supervisor when raising concerns over the frequency of a certain type of defect
  • Marking defective areas for other follow up validations and assessments by supervisors or colleagues

Some of the tools you can potentially be expected to learn to use during this apprenticeship can include devices that measure conductivity, resistivity, and corrosion, as well as thickness gauges, flaw detectors, material condition testers, and eddy current instruments.

Testing equipment used by a Non-destructive testing operator

Knowledge and behavioural modules

Some of the key aspects of NDT operating that you will have the opportunity to gain knowledge about are:

  • Health and safety – In regard to Non-Destructive Testing ensuring your safety and the safety of others in the workplace is incredibly important. Your training and understanding will be relevant to the NDT method you will be using based on your training provider.
  • NDT methods – To complete the Level 2 apprenticeship in this area you will be required to understand and action one NDT method, which will be taught to you by your training provider.
  • Identifying defects – During this apprenticeship you will be required to learn and understand how to assess products and identify defects effectively against acceptance/rejection criteria.
  • Sector specific technology – You will be expected to understand and use relevant industry technologies, have knowledge of quality aspects, and working practices, such as induction information and workplace confidentiality protocols.
  • Industry relevant materials – Knowledge of well-used, new, and upcoming materials and product technology within your industry sector is considered extremely beneficial to learn in the Non-Destructive Testing apprenticeship.

Important qualities for Non-Destructive Testing Operators apprenticeship candidates:

  • Ethics – Speak to all colleagues with respect and treat individuals with equality in mind. Discrimination in the workplace is not tolerated and all workers should report anything if they feel they are being treated unfairly.
  • Time Management – All projects, assignments, and duties should consistently be completed in a timely manner and deadlines should be met or an extension should be requested in advance depending on the circumstances.
  • Independence – Be able to work on assignments without assistance from others and having a positive impact on the work environment.
  • Comfortable Working in a Team – Work in a team and support team members by equally contributing to any workload in any given teamwork scenario.
  • Communication Skills – Communicating with senior members of staff and colleagues to ensure work is completed on time and to a high standard, and any issue are raised and resolved.
  • Initiative – Apply knowledge learnt and experience gained throughout your apprenticeship to your daily tasks and use your initiative to raise any issues with senior members of staff.
Non-destructive testing operator apprentice using testing equipment to survey the safety of train tracks

Conclusion

Does the Level 2 Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) Operator Apprenticeship sound like the right fit for you? We hope this post has given you an insight into the NDT course and has encouraged you to start your journey in finding the perfect career that is enjoyable and supports you financially. Non-Destructive Testing can open up a vast range of doors within the working world, making it a great choice for if you are yet unsure of what industry you wish to work in and are looking for an apprenticeship that will give you transferrable skills and keep your options open.

If Non-Destructive Testing is not for you but you’re still looking for something at a higher level in the science-based engineering field, why not check out our blog on the Level 6 Manufacturing Engineer Degree Apprenticeship?

At ApprenticeTips.com we love to hear all your questions and strive to help as many people interested in apprenticeships as we can, so head over to our Twitter direct messages to ask us for tips personally.

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Level 3 Digital Marketing Apprenticeship

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Do you want to take control of the marketing future in the digital age? Put your social media skills to work? A digital marketing apprenticeship could be the perfect route for you!

Jobs this apprenticeship could lead to

There are many routes to take of off the back of all the skills you will pick up from this apprenticeship. We have listed a few of the many job titles possible below. All salaries are estimated from Glassdoor.

  • Digital Marketing Executive – £25,000
  • Social Media Executive – £23,673
  • Digital Marketing Analyst – £31,773
  • Digital Advertising Executive – £27,973

Although it’s interesting to see what salary these jobs can land you, there are many more exciting aspects of these roles. Carrying the online presence of a brand is so important in this day and age and this is how the consumer forms their opinions.

Entry Criteria

Individual employers will set their own entry criteria but typically you will have achieved grade C or above in at least five GCSEs including English and Maths. In addition, you will need at least two A levels or equivalent Level 3 qualifications.  For a list of A-Level equivalent qualifications, click here. You may have previously been in a Digital Marketer role or be able to demonstrate a real passion and personal experience in digital marketing but this is not mandatory.

Behaviours you should have

This role takes a person who is really up to the job! Have a look at the following behaviours to see if you are up for the role.

  • Great communication and listening skills
  • Able to work under pressure and well within a team
  • Evaluate how work impacts others in a cultural sense
  • High attention to detail and successfully work to deadlines
  • Respect for compliance, procedures, and regulation
  • Enthusiastic and flexible approach to work and to personal development
  • Logical thinking and a creative approach to problem-solving

There are a plethora of other great attributes that would also make you a great fit to become a digital marketer.

Skills you will develop

Along with all the positive behaviours you will bring to the role, you will also learn and pick up many skills to take with you throughout your career. The aim of an apprenticeship is really that you will be professionally trained whilst continuing to be a great asset to your employer.

  • Apply the 4 marketing principles (product, price, place, promotion) and considerations of the business/marketing campaign.
  • Implement content for the different audiences, online channels and create clear “Call to Actions” and user journey’s
  • Manage, plan, specify, lead and report on digital marketing projects.
  • Manage and optimise key channels and content within a digital marketing plan.
  • Apply a marketing mix / digital marketing mix to meet customer expectations.
  • Identify, recognise and understand internal and external business intelligence and factors that may impact future operations.
  • Interpret, communicate and brief internal or external stakeholders on digital business requirements.
  • An understanding of the principles of coding

Again, although this list is completely accurate, it is not the full extent of all the complex skills you will pick up. You would also come away from this experience with a variety of soft skills. These will be transferable through both your professional and personal life.

Top 5 Digital Marketing Data Tools

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Image of a data tool showing rows of data.

With data becoming the foundation of marketing campaigns and strategies, it is no surprise that data has become a fundamental part of daily routines and digital marketing courses. Throughout the level 3 digital marketing apprenticeship, students will need to understand various data tools to qualify as competent in the technical Data skill.

Data Tool 1 – Google Analytics and Adobe Analytics

Although I was cheeky here to add two data tools in one, these tools are commonly used as the basis of pulling data for campaigns and strategies. If you need to prove an idea or decide on the success of a marketing tactic, using one of these data tools will be the best place to start.

Data gives team’s the relevant information needed to understand where traffic is coming from. Traffic channel data is necessary when confirming the success of a marketing tactic. Furthermore, this data can give you and your team an idea of what traffic channels need optimizing immediately. If a traffic channel is not driving a large volume of traffic or the conversion rate is significantly low, it is an indication to digital marketers that the channel needs improvements; this could be through optimizing a current campaign that is not succeeding or creating a new campaign. Often, this can be a great way to propose a strategy to senior team members.

The best element of these data tools, in my opinion, is being able to compare data points from different time ranges. This can give an indication on the performance of a traffic channel, product or page through determining whether key metrics such as traffic, conversion, bounce rate and revenue have increased or decreased over time. This trend can suggest whether a campaign is performing better or worse and lead to discussions on why this may be and how to improve this.

Data Tool 2 – Microsoft Excel

Personally, Excel is a favourite tool for pulling data insights! With reporting tools such as Adobe Analytics, Excel can provide detailed visualizations that can be easily shared with the team. If you have a passion for data in your digital marketing apprenticeship, I recommend studying this tool and leveraging the basic formulas to provide your team with regular performance updates. Moreover, use conditional formatting! I use it to colour code positive and negative data points. This is clearer for the team and myself to see an overview of our performance.

Furthermore, you can easily share data and insights. Use Microsoft Cloud to work within the same documents as colleagues to collaborate together.

Data Tool 3 – ContentSquare

Analysing web pages has never been simpler. ContentSquare gives a whole new meaning to using data in digital marketing. With the Chrome extension giving digital marketers the ability to analyse heat maps on live web pages, this is a tool you don’t want to miss in your apprenticeship.

Optimizing your site for SEO? Testing new content on different pages? This tool will allow you to compare visitor engagement on pages over time. You will be able to see whether the changes you have made have had a positive effect on customer engagement. Likewise, it is important to monitor any negative impacts.

Understand the engagement of your audience with this tool. Then, take key insights back to your team to explain why certain pages are performing better or worse than others. Use these insights to inform next steps in content and SEO planning.

Data Tool 4 – Google Search Console

A range of data tools is important to find insights that align with different marketing goals. As a digital marketing apprentice, you will need to understand Search Engine Optimization. This will determine a site’s organic search performance. If a page has a low ranking on the search engine results page (SERP), it will have low visibility to the target audience.

Interested in learning what pages on your site are performing well and which need optimizing? Google Search Console has many features that can provide these insights. Personally, my favourite feature is the average page ranking for a given URL. This data can give marketing team’s reasons behind Organic Search performance. It can give marketer’s the incentive to run a SEO strategy. Then, you can understand whether the strategy is working through continuing to monitor how the page rankings change through the trend graph.

An image of someone working on a laptop, using a data tool.
Data Tools are important for marketers to build campaigns that are valuable to the goals of the business.

Data Tool 5 – Google Trends

Another SEO tool, Google Trends is a useful data tool to find the volume of searches for certain keywords. When conducting keyword research, it is important to find keywords that are both high enough in volume to reach a significant audience, but also with low enough competition so competitor brands don’t take all the top ranks.

Furthermore, this tool can be interesting to look into branded keywords, especially if your company is trying to understand whether they are more engaged with their audience than a competitor. This tool allows you to see the volume of searches for your company’s branded keywords compared to that of a competitor.

Data Tools – Conclusion

These tools are useful for their own reasons. However, the level 3 digital marketing apprenticeship standard focuses not only on being able to pull and read data, but you must also be able to provide recommendations and insights to others. Take note of where I have mentioned sharing data to recommend marketing campaigns based on data trends.

If you are interested in learning more about key digital marketing tools, check out our article on keyword research tips for SEO.