LDN Publishing Alumni: National Apprenticeship Week 2021
Since introducing the Publishing Assistant Apprenticeship in 2019 alongside The Publishers Association, we’ve seen our very first cohort of LDN Publishing Apprentices become trailblazers for the programme. The first group of young people to ever gain a qualification in the ground-breaking level 3 programme, many of the publishing apprentices at LDN have now gone on to kickstart their career within the publishing industry.
So for National Apprenticeship Week, we decided to get in touch with some of our LDN Alumni currently working within the publishing sector and ask them about their apprenticeship experience!
We talked to Eleanor, Yazmeen, Ruby and Hannah and asked them the same set of five questions to see what advice they had for anyone looking to kickstart their career with an apprenticeship and why they decided to start an apprenticeship with LDN.
Eleanor Rose
Apprenticeship Qualification
Publishing Assistant Lvl 3
Currently
Production Assistant at Bloomsbury (and publishing influencer extraordinaire!).
Hannah Goddard
Apprenticeship Qualification
Publishing Assistant Lvl 3
Currently
Product Data Assistant at Cambridge University Press
Ruby Rowland
Apprenticeship Qualification Publishing Assistant Lvl 3
Currently
Publishing Apprentice at Christie’s
Yazmeen Akhtar
Apprenticeship Qualification Publishing Assistant Lvl 3
Currently
Publishing Sales Assistant at HarperCollins
Why did you decide to apply for an apprenticeship?
Eleanor - While studying at college, I said to one of my tutors ‘An apprenticeship is not for me. Definitely don’t want to go that route.’ A couple of years later and I’m sat here, with more knowledge, skills and pride I could have ever imagined.
Nobody ever knows what the future holds and where your career will take you. I’ve always been an inspired person, career-focused and motivated, but the apprenticeship has been an invaluable aid in personal progression and work progression.
Hannah - I knew that an apprenticeship would be perfect for me as I’ve seen the success of my two older sisters who went down this route. They’ve gone onto successful careers in their respected fields, so, when I saw the Publishing apprenticeship advertised, I knew that I needed to seize this opportunity and submit my application.
Ruby - I applied for an apprenticeship because I wanted to gain a recognised qualification, whilst in full-time employment. After completing an art foundation degree in 2019, I knew that further studying at university was not right for me. Therefore, I looked for apprenticeships in creative industries and found Christie’s apprenticeship scheme.
That same year, I became their first publishing apprentice, completing my qualification with the fantastic LDN Apprenticeships. With this, I have gained in-depth knowledge of the publishing industry, whilst being employed at a prestigious global brand.
Yazmeen - Since graduating with an English degree in the summer of 2019 I had been applying for hundreds of entry-level jobs within the publishing industry. This went on for 4-5 months, by which time I had attended a few interviews but felt I wasn’t getting any closer to securing my first publishing role.
This is when I came across the first publishing apprenticeship that was going to be delivered by LDN. Getting a comprehensive overview of publishing from an industry expert was the apprenticeship’s selling point for me. Being able to apply the theory and knowledge I had learnt in workshops to my work placement was fantastic.
How do you feel an apprenticeship helped to get you where you are today?
Eleanor - I would not have already recommended LDN to others if I did not completely believe it was worth it. LDN have been a massive help in both my personal and professional progress over the last year or so. LDN are trying to improve their organisation on a daily basis. Even from looking at their social media, you can tell LDN are proud of their business and are always looking for ways to develop. With this in mind, I can assure you are in trusted hands!
Hannah - The apprenticeship has really helped me tailor my personal development. It’s given me an opportunity to get my foot in the door while gaining experience in the publishing industry. On a more personal note, it’s made me feel more confident in myself and my work.
Ruby - Completing an apprenticeship has certainly helped to get me where I am today. As Christie’s first publishing apprentice, my team thoroughly enjoyed the knowledge that I brought to the team, from attending workshops with LDN Apprenticeships. My apprenticeship has now led to a full-time role with my respective employer, as a Studio Assistant.
Yazmeen - Given the fiercely competitive nature of the industry, the apprenticeship propelled me to secure my first job in publishing quicker than I had anticipated. The apprenticeship also helped me knock down the social barriers that impede the advancement of minority racial and ethnic groups in publishing.
For example, since securing my role at HarperCollins I was able to join their BAME network which has spearheaded various diversity and inclusion initiatives such as donating to the Black Minds Matter charity, making unconscious bias training compulsory for all employees, and recruiting a diversity, inclusion and belonging manager.
What was the best thing you learnt throughout your apprenticeship?
Eleanor - We were given a minimum of 20% of our working week to be spent on ‘off the job’ training/learning. This includes attending any other workshops and meetings, work experience in other departments, completing pre-workshop reading material, independent research, etc. Our online tracker allowed us to see how many hours were expected to have been completed to the present date, and how many had actually been ‘logged’ on the system. Having this was a fantastic way for both our skills coach and us to monitor our learning.
Though I came from previous employment, working for a much larger company has provided me with such insight and invaluable transferable skills. From basic email etiquette to understanding the structure of a publishing house, I have learnt a great deal. From a personal point of view, I have also come very far. I am much more confident than I was when I started the apprenticeship and take a lot more pride in my work now.
Hannah - I’ve enjoyed many aspects of my apprenticeship, but in particular, I’ve liked learning how the various publishing departments interlink and collaborate with stakeholders. I’ve been able to apply this knowledge to my day-to-day role and have a better understanding of the industry.
Ruby - I learnt so many important things during my apprenticeship. At Christie’s, I learnt to take advantage of the opportunities presented to me, such as attending auctions. With this, I built relationships across other departments.
My line manager taught me the importance of creating a varied workload, ensuring I was involved in a range of projects, that allowed me to recognise what I enjoy doing the most, and what I would like to do further within my career.
At LDN Apprenticeships, I learnt how the wider publishing industry operates from the other apprentices on my course. This allowed us to gain a broader amount of knowledge from each other and utilise this during end-point assessments.
Yazmeen - The best thing I learnt throughout my apprenticeship is that nothing compares to practical hands-on learning. Whilst the workshops at LDN provided boundless industry knowledge, the work placement equipped me with both career and occupational life skills that cannot be learnt in the classroom. From basic verbal and written communication, working in a team and time management, to problem-solving, managing expectations and multitasking, the apprenticeship has equipped me with life-long skills.
What challenges did you overcome during your apprenticeship?
Hannah - Going into an apprenticeship can be really daunting especially if you’re naturally shy like me. My biggest challenge has been trying to overcome this but luckily with the support of my colleagues, LDN apprenticeships and my cohort, I’ve been able to improve massively on this area.
Ruby - Undoubtedly, the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged all of us in different ways. Completing my apprenticeship under these circumstances has allowed me to become more resilient to challenges and remain positive during unsettling times.
LDN Apprenticeships quickly responded to these challenges, making all workshops online and providing excellent learning despite the changing circumstances. We created a group chat amongst the LDN publishing assistant apprentices, which has allowed us to keep communication with one another and has provided some much-needed humour during these challenging times.
Yazmeen - The most difficult part of my apprenticeship journey was being placed on furlough. Already suffering from imposter syndrome, it intensified my self-doubt. However, after the initial shock, I decided to affirm my worth by celebrating all that I had already accomplished – securing my apprenticeship place, passing my probation period, completing several projects whilst juggling my workload.
My HarperCollins team, who I kept in contact with during furlough, continually reminded me of all my achievements. I also took it as an opportunity to learn new skills, attend webinars, and work hard on my assignments.
What advice would you give to someone thinking of starting an apprenticeship?
Eleanor - Say yes to every single opportunity. Treat every day like you are trying to impress your employer. Do extra research all the time Connect with the other apprentices (Slack, WhatsApp...). Ask questions, ask questions, ask questions Talk to people at your workplace (interview them, offer your help...).
Hannah- An apprenticeship is a perfect combination of starting your career whilst continuing your studies. So, I would definitely recommend this option to anyone, from students that have just finished school to anyone who is looking for an upskilling opportunity.
If this option is of interest, I would advise that you research all of the apprenticeship opportunities and decide on which course is best for you – there is definitely something for everyone. Good luck!
Yazmeen - Whilst apprenticeships have become legitimate venues for the training of workers, there remains an attitude of snobbery towards vocational education. The Publishing Apprenticeship at LDN has proved the value of practical, skill-based learning. My advice to anyone interested in an apprenticeship is to go for it - they are for anyone and everyone. An apprenticeship has no bounds nor limits!