08.02.201: Our Director of Education and Skills, Dr Oliver Morris, explains below why apprenticeships remain more important than ever on the career landscape.

To mark National Apprenticeship Week 2021, UK Music is joining forces with CareerMap to host a special panel on Wednesday of former apprentices who will tell their stories.

By UK Music’s Director of Education and Skills Dr Oliver Morris

Apprenticeships remain a vital part of the employment landscape in the creative industries and a key route for  young people to get a start in their chosen career.

Despite a number of temporary issues caused by the pandemic such as the need to pause some apprenticeships or delay the start of others, Covid-19 will not slow the long-term adoption of apprenticeships across a range of music employers.

Apprenticeship Week 2021 gives us at UK Music an opportunity to reflect on our part in the development of apprenticeships in recent years, as well as celebrate the successes of some of those who have come through this route.

UK Music was an early adopter in music and also led on the Creative Employment Programme that established around 80 apprenticeships (and paid internship) opportunities with music employers.

Although that Government fund sadly came to an end, we continue to work hard on supporting apprenticeships.  We work with partners such as Creative & Cultural Skills and ScreenSkills to provide guidance and to develop all-new apprenticeships for the music industry.

We are also an active member of the Creative Industries Council that lobbies to improve the apprenticeship landscape for music and creative industries employers.

Not only are we an enthusiastic advocate for apprenticeships, but UK Music has also experienced first-hand the benefits of taking on an apprentice, seeing that apprentice become a valued member of the team and grow their professional career.

Beatriz Ribeiro joined us as an apprentice studying the Community Arts Management apprenticeship and is now our Business & Design Officer.

Beatriz told me:

“Prior to starting at UK Music, I was working at a busy coffee shop, and did not feel like my skills were being put to good use,  and as an alternative I started looking at apprenticeships.

“I knew a job would not be guaranteed at the end of my apprenticeship, so I started looking for ways I could add value to the team. I noticed there was a gap for in-house design work and spoke to my manager about perhaps allowing me to start designing some of the work we were publishing as I had some previous experience, and that ultimately led me to my current role.”

What we experienced at UK Music with Beatriz is not uncommon. Companies who take on an apprentice often see them stay on and further advance through the company as well as ,of course, see their career develop. 

The statistics show that the benefits are broad:

• 86% of employers said apprenticeships helped them develop skills relevant to their organisation
• 78% of employers said apprenticeships helped them improve productivity
• 74% of employers said apprenticeships helped them improve the quality of their product or service

(from: https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/employers/benefits-of-hiring-apprentice#)

During our panel with CareerMap on February 10 at 9am, we will be joined by three former apprentices and the CEO of a specialist training provider.

*   Lucy Garcia was Licensing Apprentice at Universal and is now Admin & Marketing Assistant at Abbey Road Institute.

*   Leon Calvely works for Sentric where he started as Music Library Assistant and is now their Sync Manager.

*   Andrew Bird is at UK Music member PPL where he started as Business Admin Apprentice and is now a Business Analyst.

*   Arit Eminue is CEO of DiVA and has years of working to find people the right apprenticeship role and helping companies in the creative industries find the right apprentice.

The panel is free and there will be the opportunity to ask questions as we go – further information here: https://www.nationalapprenticeshipweek.co.uk/event/uk-music-a-wide-range-of-careers/

I really hope you can join us and I look forward to connecting with you whether you are a potential apprentice, careers adviser, teacher, parent/guardian or music company.