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Start your career with a Level 6 Digital UX Degree Apprenticeship

July 20, 2023July 20, 2023 by Aleksandr Kim

A user experience design apprentice creating a UX plan for a mobile app, using pen and paper

Are you a creative individual with an analytical mind and outside-the-box problem-solving skills? Then you may be an excellent fit for a career in User Experience (UX) design or consultancy. A level 6 digital UX apprenticeship could be the perfect way for you to kickstart your career, gain valuable experience and earn a bachelor’s degree all at the same time!

What is a UX apprenticeship?

An apprenticeship is a programme that combines paid job experience with earning a formal qualification. Apprentices are employees that earn a wage and gain valuable on-the-job experience as part of an organisation. Simultaneously, apprentices complete their formal training with their training provider, allowing them to achieve a nationally recognised qualification. To learn more about apprenticeships in general, please visit the gov.uk website.

A level 6 apprenticeship is equivalent to a bachelor’s degree from a university. Digital UX apprentices work with experienced UX professionals and take part in designing meaningful, relevant and hassle-free user experiences. This process involves planning, testing and improving the user experience of digital products and services, such as mobile apps or websites.

Is an apprenticeship with a UX design degree worth it?

One of the common questions we hear from people interested in a UX apprenticeship is whether it is worth doing. An apprenticeship is often viewed as a form of education alternative to university, however with a level 6 UX apprenticeship you can earn a degree while you work! Moreover, a UX apprenticeship allows apprentices to gain valuable and relevant work experience that could be an advantage when looking for a job or career progression after their apprenticeship ends. Finally, apprentices can earn an annual salary of £24,000 while completing their UX apprenticeship. To learn more about why apprenticeships are worth it, read our blog post on the benefits of apprenticeships.

In this video from UCAS, meet Max, a digital user experience apprentice at IBM, who shares his walks through his usual day-to-day and shares his thoughts on pursuing a UX apprenticeship:

Source: UCAS on YouTube

Jobs and career opportunities for digital UX apprentices

A level 6 apprenticeship in digital user experience design can lead to many fantastic career opportunities with excellent progression. Some of the possible careers you can go into with a UX apprenticeship qualification include:

UX analyst
UX designer
UX consultant
Digital experience designer
User interface (UI) designer
User researcher

Entry requirements for a Level 6 Digital UX Apprenticeship with an Integrated Degree

The minimum entry requirements for starting an apprenticeship in the UK are:

Be 16 years old or older
Living in England with the right to work
Currently not in full-time education

However, there are additional entry requirements for a level 6 UX apprenticeship. These can vary depending on the employer and training provider, with some employers asking for a minimum number of GCSEs, A-levels or UCAS tariff points. However, all apprentices need to achieve Level 2 qualifications in Maths in English before their End Point Assessment. If you do not have these qualifications at the start of your UX apprenticeship, you can take a functional skills exam before your End Point Assessment.

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Key responsibilities and core competencies of a UX apprenticeship

The primary responsibility of a UX apprentice is to investigate, analyse and design the experience that users have with digital products and services. UX apprentices are responsible for the continuous user-centric improvement of the overall experience of digital products and services, such as navigation, look-and-feel, debugging and more. UX apprentices are also responsible for communication with internal and external parties, including various stakeholders to deliver outputs of their work. Finally, digital UX apprentices are responsible for researching industry best practices and applying them in their work on a consistent basis.

Some core competencies of a Level 6 Digital User Experience Apprenticeship (Integrated Degree) include:

Analyse and identify key digital product or service requirements and define appropriate measures of success, including goals, objectives and KPIs.
Conduct short-term and long-term research to evaluate the effectiveness and usability of existing digital products or services to identify opportunities for improvement.
Identify target audiences and model user types and their behaviours to inform the UX design process.
Plan and put into practice relevant user testing cycles to validate proposed UX design solutions using a wide range of techniques against the goals, objectives and KPIs.

UX apprentice using sticky notes to brainstorm a process of UX design and development

Conclusion

In conclusion, a level 6 digital user experience apprenticeship with an integrated degree is a great starting point for anyone looking to pursue a career in UX design. The qualification including a bachelor’s degree will open up many career opportunities and having on-the-job experience can give apprentices a competitive edge over their peers. Employers are always keen to use apprenticeships to shape their future generations of staff, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to start your career in this industry.

3 Free Digital Marketing Tools Every Marketer Needs 2023

March 28, 2023March 28, 2023 by Tayyibah Power

Digital Marketing, Tools, Digital Marketer, digital marketing tools, tools 2023, free tools, free tools 2023

When starting your career in digital marketing, have you ever thought about tools and software available to use? Free Digital Marketing Tools have evolved in 2023. There are so many options out there from time management tools to SEO guidance which is why its important to take a step back and really decide what works best for you. This blog will provide some useful free tools below to help get you started.

Google Keyword Planner

Understanding which keywords to use when creating different content, for example blogs or google ads can seem like a difficult task. However, Google keyword planner is so easy to use. This free tool allows you to discover many new keywords associated with your business/ industry. It works by and offering estimates of the number of times specific words/ phrases were searched. Usefully, the keyword planner actually tells you how much it costs to target. Overall, this free digital marketing tool is fantastic for all digital marketers who are looking for a keyword planner.

CapCut

Free digital Marketing Tools generally enable creating engaging short-form video content. Since 2022 there has been an increase in the popularity of videos via platforms like TikTok and Instagram. CapCut is a multi-purpose video editor which removes complex editing, so it is essentially the perfect tool for new professionals in the industry. Something that differentiates CapCut from other video editors is you can extract audio. For example take a trending sound from Instagram and import the video into CapCut, click extract audio and then you have an easy way to create perfectly timed transitions.

Canva

An Important tool for a role as a digital marketer is Canva. Canva is basically a source for all your graphic design needs, which is super helpful having this all in one place not to mention convenient. Canva pretty much allows you to create anything from social media content you need to upload, to banners for your new website and it also provides a helpful system of templates to help you incorporate all of this into your outputs.

We all know starting to create content from scratch can seem extremely daunting and this tends to put many new digital marketers in a predicament, knowing tools like this are out there and available free to use by anyone creates so much relief! Because once you know this life gets so much easier. Canva is able to take this to a whole new level by displaying inspiration from various previous creators and the different internal tools and features such as the drag-and-drop feature which makes the experience streamlined.

Summary of Free Digital Marketing Tools

To conclude, a range of free digital marketing tools readily available are so easy to find when you have the web at your finger tips. Don’t be afraid to jump deep in when comes to digital marketing as there are so many useful resources out there that will make your journey as a marketer super easy! It is important to know which ones will help develop your skills, however it is just as easy to find out which ones are best for you by simply trial and error.

These 3 free digital marketing tools will help you to build your best skillset now and in the future as technology advances and trends keep changing. Overall, understanding what tools will drive your development and progression is important for creating successful strategies and campaigns.

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Understanding the 4 Basic Principles of Marketing

November 29, 2022November 29, 2022 by Chloe Jenkinson

Are you creating Marketing campaigns for your company? Do they fit your product and company’s goals? Read this blog to ensure you have a good understanding of the 4 Basic Principles of Marketing.

Introduction of the 4 Principles of Marketing

In this section I will help increase your understanding of the 4 Principles of Marketing (4P’s) also known as the marketing mix. The 4P’s are a set of actions a company will use in order to promote its brand, product or service to its targeted market. They key principles involve a framework that helps companies producing goods or services recognise the strategies and tactics they need to consider in order to succeed.

For a business to stand out in a highly crowded marketplace a great marketing strategy is vital. The four steps that marketing revolves around are Product, Price, Promotion and Place. All concepts are compatible and mix well together in different ways, which ultimately will drive product adoption within your targeted audience.

The market is constantly changing which can be unpredictable and overpowering at times. The strategies you build from sustainable marketing principles will ensure your company has long-term stability.

Product

The first component of the Marketing Mix.

Product is undoubtedly the core component of the marketing mix as the product or service you are advertising is the face of your brand. You need to do thorough long-term market research to ensure you are selling a product that is going to be profitable. Do customers really want it? Is there a need for it in the marketplace? Does it have a strong demand?

Using Market segmentation can help you identify key considerations allowing you to deliver a product that your target audience are engaged in. Your focus needs to be on solving the problem for your customers, addressing the key benefits the product has and persuading them that this is something they really need and want.

Price

The second component of the Marketing Mix

The pricing strategy for your business is critical to the success of your business therefore thorough market research needs to be actioned. Having the correct pricing strategy as well as focusing on quarterly or annual goals will help your company grow within the market. You will need to determine the market value and understand what your customers are willing to pay before setting a price. Marketers need to consider the product’s real and perceived value as well as supply costs and any discounts you may offer.

Pricing influences how customers perceive your product. If you assign a product higher or lower than the price that customers was expecting this will affect your overall number of sales and leave a negative impression.

Assign the price of the product too high, the potential customer may be off put and automatically go to your competitors to find a better deal. Assign the price of the product too low, potential customers may question why it’s so cheap compared to other competitors in the market e.g. Maybe it’s not good quality? Maybe it’s not good hence the low price in order to sell?

Place

The third component of the Marketing Mix

Place is more than just physical locations, it refers to anywhere you may sell, market, or distribute your product. This is where the product or service you are selling is available for people to purchase, either in a physical shop or online website. You will need to use your market research skills to find out what locations are the most convenient for your target audience.

In this modern age more individuals are using the internet including social media sites to find products that interest them. Social media is a great place to increase brand recognition and digital presence online as your posts are visible to a large scale of people. It is also a very effective way to target multiple audiences at once and link them straight to your company website. Engaging your audience online will make a huge difference to your overall success and increase sales.

Promotion

The fourth component of the Marketing Mix

Promotion raises awareness about your company and products or services you have to offer. It is every type of marketing communication that you have send out about a product to your targeted audience.

It allows you to hand out information about your products and reasons why our audience should use them. Communicating with your target audience is key to effectively promote your product and gain a higher engagement rate. You should take time to research the best ways to do so.

Here are some examples of ways to promote your business –

Social Media Marketing – Advertising through social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Content Marketing – Blogs, Videos, E-books etc.
Email Marketing – Advertising through a mailing list of subscribers
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) – Boosts your search rankings online
Sales Promotions – Short term promotions or deals

I hope this article helped you increase your understanding of the 4 key marketing principles!If you want to learn more about Digital Marketing, why not take a look at the Digital Marketing Level 3 Apprenticeship, expand your knowledge now!

Alternatively read more of our interesting blogs about Digital Marketing here

4 Tools You NEED as a Digital Marketer [2022]

September 8, 2022September 8, 2022 by Grace Owen

As a digital marketer, your primary role is to define, design, build and implement digital campaigns across online and social media platforms. Creating and tracking campaigns require essential digital tools such as content creation software, design tools and analytic trackers.

This guide will outline the vital tools you need to use, as well as our top recommendations for the best software out there to level up your marketing – let’s begin!

1. Canva

canva.com

Canva is an Australian graphic design platform, used to create social media graphics, presentations, posters, documents and other visual content. It also allows users to upload templates for other marketers to use.

This is one of my favourite design tools, as it is user-friendly and produces professional content without the cost of a top-end graphic designer. This is great for businesses with a small budget, who prefer to do in-house design rather than out-sourcing.

Canva allows you to collaborate with your team on the same platform, giving you the option to share directly with team members or set permissions on who can edit the content.

The tool is free to use with some features being restricted to a premium plan. This includes but is not limited to:

Removing the background of images
Resizing
Full access to photos, elements and fonts

Canva Pro is £99.99 a year and is limited to one person. Canva for Teams is £129.90 a year 2+ people.

2. Mailchimp

If you’re one of the 8/10 marketers who use email marketing, Mailchimp is for you!

Mailchimp is a marketing automation platform which is designed for businesses using email to reach their target audience. It’s an all-in-one tool, allowing you to manage mailing lists and create email templates. Being a web-based application means you don’t need to download and install any software to your devices, and instead can use it on any web browser.

If you’re not clued up on everything coding, Mailchimp offers a range of readymade templates to use in your email campaigns. You can change colours, fonts and structure without needing to know HTML, CSS, or JavaScript. This is the perfect fix if your company is without an in-house web designer.

Mailchimp is free to use, with certain features being restricted to those who pay for the premium plan.

3. Yoast

yoast.com

If you’re familiar with WordPress, you will be familiar with Yoast.

Yoast is an SEO plugin, designed to help businesses optimize their websites for search engines. The plugin makes it easy to write titles and description tags inside of website pages. It also shows you a ‘Snippet Preview’ of how the page will look on Google’s search results page.

SEO is all about keyword research and Yoast allows you to set a ‘focus keyphrase’ to analyse the web content on a page. It determines how your content scores on different factors. For example, the length of text, using internal links etc. It then organises these scores using the traffic light system, with helpful tips to improve your rankings.

Yoast is free to use with certain features being locked for Yoast SEO Premium members at £99 a year.

For more helpful SEO tips, click here.

4. HubSpot

HubSpot has several marketing tools at hand, with everything you need in one place.

HubSpot offers a full stack of software, including a CRM, Marketing Hub, Sales Hub and a Service Hub. Coined as an ‘all-in-one marketing software’, it provides tools that can help your company with blogging, SEO, social media, email, landing pages and web analytics.

The ‘holy grail’ of inbound marketing, HubSpot’s tools can help you to grow your traffic, convert leads and prove ROI for your inbound marketing campaigns. With everything in one place, it couldn’t be more ideal for a digital marketer.

HubSpot offers a ‘free tools’ package, as well as other premium packages to unlock more features – starting at £38/month.

A hand holding a phone that has software logos on it.

Final Thoughts

Marketing doesn’t have to be overwhelming, and with the right digital marketing tools, you can create a marketing strategy with ease. Incorporating social media marketing, search engine optimization, email marketing and consistent content gives your business the best chance to succeed and grow.

Digital tools are always changing, so be sure to keep up with trends and have an updated list of tools at your fingertips.

Is there something we missed? Do you have a great tool that you want to recommend?

Help us keep this list updated by leaving a comment with your favourite digital tools. For more information on digital careers, check out our blog.

Wiring your future: Level 3 Network Cable Installer

September 7, 2022September 7, 2022 by Grace Owen

From installing network equipment across different sites, to providing the highest speed broadband to UK homes; let’s dive into the Level 3 Network Cable Installer apprenticeship.

What is a Network Cable Installer?

The role of a network cable installer is to install, terminate, test and certify network cable infrastructure components in line with the National and International Industry standards. This role is vital in providing the digital infrastructure for digital devices to communicate with each other, internally nationally and even globally! This includes devices such as computers, servers, smart devices, wireless access points, lighting systems and much more.

A person wearing protective gloves is working on a large electrical circuit board, holding cables. The orange text reads 'What is a Network Cable Installer?'.

You will work in data-sensitive environments and will contribute to an organisation’s cyber security strategy. Tasks range from a single outlet in a customer’s premises to thousands of outlets in a new office block. The role is physically demanding, in which you will be lifting and moving heavy equipment – so keep this in mind as we move through the apprenticeship process!

The Apprenticeship Process

The apprenticeship typically lasts between 12-15 months, with the first 12 months working towards the occupational standard and having a minimum of 20% off-the-job training. Once the apprentice has spent 12 months on-programme, they can then progress to their End Point Assessment (EPA). Apprentices without level 2 English and Maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the End-Point Assessment.

The End Point Assessment consists of 2 distinct assessment methods:

Assessment Method 1: Practical Demonstration and Questions
Assessment Method 2: Professional Discussion

There are no specific requirements to complete Assessment Method 1, but to complete Assessment Method 2, a portfolio must be compiled through the apprenticeship, and be completed by the gateway.

The portfolio must be sufficient to evidence the apprentice can apply the knowledge, skills and behaviours required as mapped to assessment method 2 (AM2): Professional Discussion and Questions. There must be at least one piece of evidence relating to each knowledge, skill and behaviour mapped to AM2. One piece of evidence can be referenced against more than one knowledge, skill or behavioural requirement. It is expected that there will typically be a minimum of 5 pieces of evidence. The portfolio should contain written accounts of activities that have been completed and referenced against the knowledge, skills and behaviours, supported by appropriate evidence, including photographic evidence and work products, such as work instructions, safety documentation, company policies and procedures as appropriate to the activities. Progress review documentation should also be included. Self-reflective accounts or self-assessment are not permissible.

The apprentice will then be graded with a FAIL, PASS, OR DISTINCTION. On completion the apprentice will be eligible to apply for registration as a full member for the Institute of Telecommunications Professionals

3 boxes that outline the steps of The Apprenticeship process and End Point Assessment: Portfolio, Assessment Method 1 and Assessment Method 2.

What skills do I need to be a Network Cable Installer apprentice?

The best thing about an apprenticeship, is that you learn all of the technical skills you need on the job! However, there are a few soft skills listed below, to ensure you are the perfect fit for this course:

You will need to be a highly driven and motivated individual who can work alone as well as in a team.
You should be focused and thorough, working towards high standard and taking responsibility for the accuracy and quality of your own work.
Being a problem-solver is essential in this role, and you should apply initiative to overcome any obstacles encountered in the workplace.

Although the usual consensus for entry onto an apprenticeship is 5 GCSEs including Maths and English, every training provider and organisation is different. To get started on the course, make sure to check with them directly, before you apply!

Conclusion

Working in Network Cable Installation, is a big responsibility in how we communicate digitally across the world. It is a rewarding job with salaries starting from £25,000 per year, with the most experienced workers making up to £37,000 (source: UK Talent). An apprenticeship gives you the skills you need while being paid for your work, as well as eligibility to register to be a full member of the Institute of Telecommunications Professionals.

For more information and recommendations of training providers, you can find us Facebook and LinkedIn, or you can contact us directly on Twitter. You can also find an insight into other digital apprenticeships here.

A guide to digital tools for your Digital Marketing Apprenticeship

March 11, 2022March 11, 2022 by Jenna Harris

A computer screen showing editing software

The term “Digital Tool” in your apprenticeship will refer to any software program, online resource, or website which helps you in your role as a Digital Marketer. For a quick guide on the types of digital tools and how they can benefit your Digital Marketing Apprenticeship, read on!

What is a digital tool?

These are tools that you use for:

Content creation,
Content scheduling,
Sending email content,
Web metrics, analysis, and reporting,
Communication,
and more.

Digital tools for content creation:

Content creation spans across text posts, such as status updates and blogs, graphic and infographic content, animated graphic video content, filmed video content, pdf content, email content – essentially any kind of visual that you see online.

Canva

Canva is an online digital tool for making graphics and videos. They have both a free and paid plan available. Canva has a huge library of templates, icons, animations, royalty-free images and music that you can use for your business. It’s a must-have for any digital marketer looking to create infographics, videos, or dynamic presentations with a bit of extra eye-catching content.

Herefish and MailChimp

Herefish and MailChimp are both digital tools for creating templates for email marketing newsletters. They both have a library of pre-existing templates, and the option to create your own from scratch, adding in your company branding.

Adobe Creative Cloud

Adobe Creative Cloud is a library of content creation programmes. There are many different ones available, but here were we’ll discuss;

Photoshop

Photoshop is used to create original images, or edit existing images and photos. You can remove distracting objects from a photo, adjust the colours of an image, or create GIF content. Content created in Photoshop has the option to be high resolution, so it is a great programme for logo and asset creation.

Premiere Pro

Premiere Pro is a video editing software. You can cut and move around clips, adjust the speed, audio and colour levels, and layer videos, music and images on top of one another. Premiere can export GIFs, .mov, .mp4, .mp3 and more.

Audition

Audition is an audio editing software. You can import your video content and remove any background noise, amplify the voice of someone speaking, add ambient background noise, and more. Audition is great for anyone looking to clean up audio if you’ve filmed content without a mic – or to polish and perfect audio that already used a mic.

Digital tools for content scheduling:

Content scheduling allows you to plan a date and time for a post on a social media channel. By creating and scheduling content in advance, you can work on other tasks and know that every post is going out as planned.

Sprout Social

With Sprout Social, you can connect multiple accounts to schedule content. You’re given a calendar, which shows all your upcoming posts. You can set posts to go out on specific platforms, at specific dates and times. For certain channels, you can set thumbnail images too. Currently, you can schedule images and videos, but not documents or Instagram carousels.

An image of a person on a computer, editing a video using a digital tool. — A person using video editing software, which is a type of Digital Tool.

Sending email content:

Every email that you receive from a clothing brand, service, or company is classed as email content (or email marketing). This type of content plays an important role in lead generation and can also be used as a method of linking back to your website and social media.

Herefish and MailChimp

In Herefish and Mailchimp, you can create lists of contacts to receive your content, and put together tailored automations to reach these lists. By using these programmes, bulk email campaigns are sent out without having to manually type out each individual address. If you’ve got content you want to go out to people in a specific postcode, make a list for your contacts in… Derby for example, set up the automation, and hit send! Your contacts will then receive it instantly.

Digital tools for web metrics, analysis and reporting:

Web metrics are classed as a specialist area, and will be important in your apprenticeship when showing that you can monitor your social media accounts, pull through data, and interpret it to form short and long term marketing plans.

Instagram Insights

This digital tool is only available through the mobile app. Instagram Insights will give you the ability to see your audience demographics, such as age and location. You can also view metrics for feed posts and story posts, narrowing these down to engagement, reach, shares, and profile visits.

One feature that sets Instagram Insights apart is the ability to see which days, and time of day your audience is most active. With this, you can develop a content scheduling plan tailored to your business and audience, posting when they are most active and likely to see it.

Sprout Social

Sprout Social is a one-stop location for all your social platform metrics. You can compare content across channels or view content from one specific platform. Sprout has a Reports feature, where data is automatically pulled through and formed into charts and graphs. This saves you time inputting data to create your own infographics for presentations. Sprout also automatically compares stats from month-on-month, giving you a percentage for each metric so that you can see where stats have reduced or increased.

Herefish and MailChimp

After sending out email content, you’ll need to monitor how it performs. Herefish and MailChimp track data from those who receive your content. They can tell you who received the email, who unsubscribed or opted out, and who clicked a link. They can sometimes also tell you which company the contact works for, and what industry they’re in. This is crucial information to know whether your content is reaching the right audience.

Communication

How do you speak with team members, other internal staff, or external companies? For every email or direct message you send, a digital tool is keeping you connected.

Outlook

Outlook is an email application. You can use it to send and receive emails, schedule meetings or confirm attendance. You can also set out-of-office automatic replies, and make rules to re-direct emails you receive.

Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Skype

After the last few years of lockdown and working from home, you’re likely familiar with at least one of these digital tools. They can be used for online meetings, helping you to communicate from afar. They allow you to share your screen and lead presentations, so this can come in handy for any client proposals you make.

Conclusion

There are many digital tools that can be used in your digital marketing apprenticeship. They can make completing tasks much easier, whilst also showing that you have a great understanding of your role as a digital marketer. These digital tools are often part of our everyday lives, without us even realising.

Now that you know how to make, schedule, and report on your content, it’s time to learn some social media etiquette! Check out our guide “The do’s and don’ts of social media as a Level 3 Digital Marketer” to find out more.

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