National Apprenticeship Week 2024: Apprenticeships aren’t just for the trade

Former budding journalist and indie music blogger, Alex Pearson, knew a Marketing Apprenticeship was a great opportunity to grow his skills, backed by the support of his Liberty Colleagues.

Alex has just completed an 18-month Level 4 Marketing Apprenticeship, with distinction no less, all while working full-time for Liberty, as a Marketing Executive.

Living with his fiancée, Molly, in Boston, Lincolnshire, Alex joined Liberty three years ago.

“I started a blog during my college years, IndieCentralMusic, to refine my journalism skills. Little did I know, it would go on to shape my journey into the world of marketing.”

After completing a BA in Journalism at Staffordshire University in Stoke-on-Trent, Alex faced redundancy as a journalist during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Undeterred, he seized the opportunity to work for Liberty in May 2021, sharing: “Joining Liberty opened new doors for me. It was a chance to utilise my writing skills in the new field of marketing.”

Eighteen months ago, Liberty presented Alex with a unique opportunity – a level 4 Marketing Apprenticeship, a Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) approved course. Reflecting on the experience, Alex said: “It was an intense period, balancing around seven hours of weekly online learning at Cambridge Marketing College with full-time work at Liberty. But the challenge was so worth it.”

Part of the course was an endpoint assessment based on one of Liberty’s projects, which included a ten-minute presentation and a 50-minute professional conversation with an assessor, all of which Alex passed with distinction.

“Completing the assessment was hard work but also really rewarding. It pushed me to showcase my skills and apply theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios, which I’ve already put into practice at work!”

Alex managed to complete the apprenticeship in only 18 months, despite also juggling buying and renovating his first home and dealing with family illness and loss.

Despite these additional challenges, Alex’s commitment to professional growth saw him smash all his assessments and achieve great marks.

“I worked hard to balance work, my apprenticeship studies, and a busy home life, but I have to give a big shout-out to Liberty for all the support they gave me during this time.

“To have colleagues who shouldered the workload while I completed my set study hours each week was invaluable and I wouldn’t have been able to complete the apprenticeship so quickly if it wasn’t for this teamwork, which I’m so proud to be part of.”

Looking ahead, Alex sees a bright future at Liberty, as the company goes from strength to strength.

“Liberty has been instrumental in my growth, and I’m excited for what lies ahead for the marketing team and the company as a whole.”

“I’ve already put my learnings from my apprenticeship into practice, and our Gas Safety Week Campaign, which saw a reach of over 1 million people, was shortlisted for an award recently. This just shows the impact that can be made through marketing and communications and I can’t wait to put my newfound skills into more projects!”