Jerrell Chaney blogs about the first week of QA Apprenticeship training for his Digital Marketing apprenticeship working at MAXX Design.
Recently I went for my first ever training course with QA for my Digital Marketing apprenticeship. The course is spread out over 8 weeks out of the year. This is a fantastic opportunity for me and I am truly grateful that MAXX has invested the time and money in me.
As I got off the tube at Farringdon station, I pulled my iPhone out of my pocket for directions and guidance to the university. I left with an ample amount of time in order for me to arrive on time but of course my iPhone decided to make me walk the longest route possible. After roughly 20 minutes of walking, my iPhone notified me that I had “arrived at my destination”, which is where I panicked. At that point I was down a very questionable back ally with a towering concrete staircase looking down on me. I pulled out my iPhone (again) and frantically searched for the building. Turns out it was at the top of the stairs and directly to the left… Still uncertain to why my iPhone decided to take me down and round allies instead of the numerous main roads that surrounded the university however, I did arrive just on time (luckily)!
“By the last day we all ended up in a large Whatsapp group chat, which still buzzes every day since”
My first impressions of the building were great, it was clean, modern and the staff were very friendly. The individual classrooms bright and well presented, making it an excellent working environment. The only issue I came across were the Windows computers but that is a personal issue: (A Mac user always misses his Mac!).
Bundling together 20 students who are complete strangers was always going to be slightly awkward for a first meet and greet, However the mood was far from the traditional doom and gloom atmosphere you might find in other classes. People started to gel and everyone was there because they were passionate about learning. As the week progressed we all got along better and better. By the last day we all ended up in a large Whatsapp group chat, which still buzzes every day since. As the week came to a close we all decided to end the week on a high point and said a farewell over a few drinks before departing on our journeys home.
“You could instantly tell that [our teacher] loved what he did and enjoyed the company he was with”
Our teacher for the week was a bright and cheerful guy called Matt Phelan. Matt had a background in teaching for a public school in Manchester before teaching at QA. You could instantly tell that Matt loved what he did and enjoyed the company he was with. As the week came to a close Matt said to us “You lot are hands down the best group that I have ever taught”. I’m sure this is something Matt says to all of his groups as the week closes (but I would certainly like to think we were the best group ever!). Matt has also put in a request for us all to stay together throughout the next year because we worked incredibly well with each other.
During the first couple of days we learned about social media and how it has changed the ways we communicate. The main discussion we had was whether or not social media was just a fad, you may have noticed that this sparked an idea for an article I recently posted. I was shocked that some of the class said it was, considering it was part of some of their jobs and the course. This discussion led us down the demographics road where we found facts as to why social media isn’t just a fad: it is here to stay (a firm stance). This allowed us to do some independent research and come back with our own compelling arguments. Young people in business
As the week progressed we started looking at generation characteristics, from Baby Boomers to Generation Z and how the different generations use social media and technology. Baby Boomers were born in 1945 – 1960, Generation X 1961 – 1980, Generation Y 1981 – 1995 and generation Z born after 1995. As you can imagine Generation Y and Z were the heavier users online and investing in new technology however, it was interesting discussing the differences in online use across the generations. This infographic excellently shows the differences, click here if you’re interested in looking for yourself. Which generation do you fall into?
“I am genuinely looking forward to the next session and reconnecting with the class”
Overall I had a fantastic week and I had the opportunity to meet some amazing individuals. Working alongside other young people in business is highly motivating and enriching. An added bonus is that we are all keeping in contact, which is allowing us to develop our relationships further. Personally I have never been in a group that has naturally gelled together in such a short amount of time. This is most likely due to the fact we all want to be there to develop and learn new skills and we are all young people within the same industry. I am genuinely looking forward to the next session and reconnecting with the class.
I am looking forward to developing my skills further within MAXX and bringing what I learn with QA to the business. I am really enjoying my time here so far and can only hope that there is much more time ahead.
MAXX has always supported the apprenticeship scheme. Apprenticeships schemes are never spoken about enough in schools and they need to be. It is another option for young adults to kick start a career and the majority of young people in apprenticeships are wildly successful. If you are a young adult or know of any young adult that might benefit from an apprenticeship, I encourage you to get in contact with QA, or even a friend /family member, to see if it would be the right choice for you.
