National Apprenticeship Week: meet our rising stars

In August 2022, Larenze, Mollie, Tyler-Anne, Natasha, and Valentina came straight out of sixth form and immersed themselves in agency life at Emperor. Getting stuck into projects across Emperor, they’ll rotate through four placements over 16 months, while completing a Business Administration qualification.  

This National Apprenticeships Week, Tyler-Anne and Larenze recognise where their strengths lie and share more about their journey so far...   

How have you found moving from learning in the classroom to the office?

Larenze: “The transition has been exciting but challenging, as many of the subjects I learned in school haven’t applied to the workplace environment. I am most proud of being involved in managing activities around Black History Month and presenting to the whole agency.”

Tyler-Anne: “Being at school is so different to life in the workplace. I am much more motivated to do my work to the best of my ability as I feel a higher level of accountability. The responsibility is different, but I prefer it.”

What were you expecting from working in an agency? 

Larenze: “Initially, I expected agency life to be strict and extremely formal. However, I soon realised the environment here is the complete opposite. The culture at Emperor is very positive, being welcomed with warm smiles has been essential for my growth and development. I also love the social activities; I get involved in football and raising awareness around diversity and inclusion.”

Tyler-Anne: “I had no idea what to expect at first, but I love the culture here. During the pandemic, I found doing schoolwork from home difficult, but working from home at Emperor is completely different as I feel more engaged with my learning and development. Everyone is super friendly; it feels like being around people you’ve known forever!”

Tell us more about the first department you’ve worked in?  

Larenze: “I started in the brand department. I enjoyed this as everyone in the team is super knowledgeable and pushed me to develop analytical skills, teaching me to think outside of the box on projects. My line manager also gave me significant guidance to help me adjust to the workplace.”

Tyler-Anne: “I started out in the project management team. It was a great place to start as I had no prior business knowledge and developed a solid understanding into the types of projects we work on with clients.”

What department are you working in for your second rotation and why?  

Larenze: “The second department I am working in is business development. I felt driven to work in this team because of how social the job role can be, which is a standout strength of mine. My confidence in building relationships with people will help me thrive in this new role. The team has been very welcoming, making my experience super positive!”

Tyler-Anne: “I am now in the moving image team. I was drawn to this department as I’ve always surrounded myself with the creative arts by attending drama school and doing work experience in a theatre. After being invited to a shoot with Nick, our photographer, we spoke about my desire to work in film for my second rotation (as I almost applied to study film at university!). I have found it fascinating working with the team, we have created a very positive team environment and produced fantastic content!”

We are thrilled to see our apprentices thriving. We hope to have more apprentices join our RISE scheme next year and give them the tools to succeed in the creative communications industry.

If you would like to hear more about RISE or discuss the programme in more detail, get in touch directly at [email protected]