Every February, the UK celebrates National Apprenticeship Week to highlight the positive impact that apprenticeships make to organisations, individuals, and the wider economy. This is an initiative led by the government and throughout the week, Pearson gets involved in the nationwide social media campaign by sharing apprentices’ stories, current vacancies, and hosting events.
National Apprenticeship Week's 2023 theme is ‘Skills for Life’ and focuses on how apprenticeships can help individuals develop skills that transcend any single job and gain skills applicable throughout one's life and evolving career pathways.
Combining work and study, apprenticeships are development programs for anyone aged 16+ and allow individuals to acquire formal qualifications alongside their work. For example, I’m currently completing a Chartered Manager apprenticeship where I work at Pearson four days a week then attend the University of Kent once a week where I'm pursuing a Business Management degree.
I started my apprenticeship back in 2020 when I worked in Pearson College London’s Communications Team. There, my role involved creating content for various communications channels including our website, blog, and social media accounts. I’m now doing a secondment in the Early Talent and Apprenticeships team supporting marketing and communications for the team's events and activities.
At Pearson, apprenticeships are our flagship development programme for the UK; they provide managers with innovative ways to upskill their teams since employees get to complete formal qualifications alongside their work. Additionally, they enable the company to bring new and diverse talent into the business as apprenticeships are a pathway into Pearson for those who are at the beginning of their careers.
Being an apprentice myself, I also appreciate the benefits for individuals. Beyond kickstarting my career, and gaining meaningful, relevant learning, it’s been a fantastic opportunity to develop professional networks. For instance, I’ve had the chance to meet senior leaders who have mentored me, shared career advice, and recommended me for upcoming job opportunities. This has helped me decide where I want to progress after my apprenticeship and given me a clearer idea of my future prospects.
Pearson currently offers over 40 different types of apprenticeship programmes. From Business Management to Marketing, Leadership and Management, Cyber Security and Engineering, we’re proud to have such a hardworking community of apprentices who continue to drive the next generation of talent.
If you’d like to learn more about life as an apprentice at Pearson, check out the stories below. Additionally, if you’re looking to do an apprenticeship, browse Pearson's current vacancies.
Charlie Ward
Associate IT Project Manager Apprentice
“Having no prior experience within the IT industry before starting my apprenticeship, I am learning something new every day. It’s challenging but extremely rewarding and I am continuously building my skills both professionally and personally. Through the support and encouragement from my line manager, mentor, and colleagues, I’ve been able to gain valuable knowledge in project management and I have built my skills in communication, problem-solving, delegating and organisation, which are all key attributes of project managers. Because of this, I recently had the chance to execute my very first project”
Jason Davis
Bid and Proposal Co-Ordinator Apprentice
“Being an apprentice takes you on a personal journey, you will learn new things, make new contacts, open doors, and develop skills for life. My apprenticeship journey has helped me improve my personal development skills, including communication, collaboration, planning and preparation to name a few. These skills have helped me stand out from the crowd and I have led various workstreams with key stakeholders across the business. In 2022, I also won ‘Advanced Apprentice of the Year’ in the Northwest region at the National Apprenticeship Awards, and I have secured a new position in Pearson TQ. The knowledge, skills and behaviours achieved during my apprenticeship have opened doors and helped me advance my career.”
Ali Titmas
Chartered Manager Degree Apprentice
“I’ve been an apprentice at Pearson for 3 years and have had the opportunity to experience roles in different departments around the business whilst learning new skills. This has opened doors to many brilliant opportunities. My current role as a Customer Success Manager means I get to lead a team of nine amazing people from the UK and Poland who are responsible for renewals from primary schools in the UK. My apprenticeship has allowed me to develop a range of skills such as leadership, innovation, conflict handling and much more. Without my apprenticeship, I wouldn’t be where I am in my career today”
Imani Brown is a Degree Apprentice undertaking the Chartered Manager programme at Pearson. She currently works with the Early Talent and Apprenticeships team as a Marketing Content/Communications Specialist. Connect with her on LinkedIn.
