Jones and Palmer instill apprenticeships to their graduate positions and training

This month sees a huge change in apprenticeships in that now graduates can apply to apprenticeship positions. This means that companies have a huge opportunity to make sure they get the right talent for the positions in their company. Due to our award winning approach, we’re in touch with a number of employers interested in how the apprenticeship programme can now work with graduates. The main rule that we want all employers to remember is that the apprenticeship that a graduate does has to be different to their degree. So, for instance a graphic design graduate cannot do a graphic design apprenticeship.

Jones and Palmer, a creative agency based in the jewellery quarter have recently taken on graduate Catherine Wells. We spoke with Catherine about why she chose to take on the apprenticeship position.

” I graduated from University in a Promotion and Communication degree which opened up a range of different career pathways to pursue. I tried a few, and, after some reflection, set my sights on a dream job within graphic design. I found it difficult to get a job within the competitive graphic design industry as I did not have a specific a graphic design degree nor did I have any previous job titles where I was explicitly working as a ‘graphic designer’ – to an employer I was a bit of a risk, a wild card. I approached Jones and Palmer, a company local to where I live, who suggested an apprenticeship with them as a way into the industry; this way I would be employed whilst gaining on the job experience and training. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that as a University graduate, I was now eligible to do an apprenticeship. Whilst University gave me a foundation and passion for the industry I am pursuing, an apprenticeship has cemented me into the industry in a real-life working environment. In addition, an apprenticeship has eliminated the need to take on unpaid internships or embark on another costly University course to get my dream job. Winner, winner!”

We asked Brand and Creative Development Director, William Morgan-Harrold about why Jones and Palmer had decided to take on Catherine as an apprentice

“Having an apprenticeship program has allowed us to create opportunities by growing and developing fresh talent. Hiring an apprentice has meant we can develop new creative talent and transform them into valuable commercial assets, as the theory can be put directly into practice. This approach to our talent management has improved not only our culture but the delivery of our commercial strategy.”

Jones and Palmer are just one of the creative companies we work with to develop their training programmes. Finding the right talent for a growing company should be a priority. And with Creative Alliances support and Government funding there has never been a better time.

Please check out all the exciting work Jones and Palmer get up to

If you want to find more please contact us here or email laurie@creativealliance.org.uk