February 7th to 13th is National Apprenticeship Week – where the spotlight is put on apprentices and the great work they do, and the benefits they bring for individuals, businesses and communities.
We thought we’d bring this very close to home and take the opportunity to catch up with the apprentice who’s been working on our place marketing project in Redcar and Cleveland, Jack Roberts. Jack talks to us about the work that he’s done on helping us promote Redcar and Cleveland to the world!
Jack, why did you apply for the apprenticeship you’re working on?
I applied for this apprenticeship because I’ve always had the desire to further my knowledge and skills, and the council had a great reputation for developing people’s careers, which was something I needed.
I originally started my apprenticeship in Libraries & Customer Services back in 2020, completing a level two. Now that I’m completing a level three – which covers a new range of challenges – I’m getting more prepared for the next chapter in my career.
What sort of work do you do?
I work in the Place Development and Investment team, which is the department that arranges all the fantastic projects that are taking place across Redcar and Cleveland. I get involved in lots of different projects. I spend quite a bit of my time on place marketing, which I really enjoy.
Some highlights of the work I’ve done include:
- Working on the Guisborough Town Trail; a leaflet that guides visitors around town, which talks about the local history surrounding us.
- Help running the Ambassador programme and its networking events – like the Ambassador Showcase – where I’ve met loads of uniquely wonderful people.
- I also conduct the interviews for Ambassador Spotlights, where I learned a lot of what makes our Ambassadors so great.
- Running the photography contests! I’ve always had a keen interest in photography, so being able to take part in that was a lot of fun!
How will you and your work make an impact on our place?
I play my part in our team effort of telling the positive story of Redcar and Cleveland. We can show the world that there’s more to us than just a beautiful coastline and racecourse. We’re a proud part of the Tees Valley, and we’re making tremendous strides in leading the “green revolution”.
By working in place marketing, there would’ve been aspects that I wouldn’t have been knowledgeable about otherwise, I can only imagine how others might feel with the work I do. I still remember how I managed to change a teenager’s opinion of the area, where she thought there was absolutely nothing to do or be excited about, but as I encouraged her to explore the Redcar Cleveland website, she found plenty of things to be excited about and that gave her some plans that weekend!
Would you recommend apprenticeships to people?
Absolutely! We live in a day and age where there’s so much expected from applicants across most career paths. There’s no substitute for experience, so having an apprenticeship will do more than just give you a qualification, it gets you started on that career ladder!
