12 months ago I embarked on a new chapter in my life. After 8 years of working in education I decided it was time for a career change. An opportunity arose that would allow me to combine my passion for Scouting and an interest I had built up in media and public relations; an opportunity I never thought possible: an apprenticeship as a Junior Media Relations Officer with Scouts. Who knew there was no upper age limit to do an apprenticeship, the only challenge here was locating my aged GCSE certificates… but that’s another story!
For someone who is neurodiverse and Dyslexic, never in a million years did I think I would be able to pursue a career where writing is a key element to the job role. However, having been a volunteer within Scouts for a few years I had been able to gain some basic, but valuable experience in writing, working with the media and public relations; real proof that as an adult you can gain essential ‘skills for life’ from being a volunteer.
I was welcomed at Gilwell Park with open arms, everyone was friendly and supportive of me joining the team. From the perspective of a volunteer it was amazing to put faces to the many names I had encountered over the years and I felt proud to now be working alongside them all.
Nerves very quickly disappeared and I felt part of the team from the off. My apprenticeship was set up in the January through the PRCA, (Public Relations and Communications Association) which would be the start of my 18 months of training to allow me to gain an accredited qualification in Public Relations.
The apprenticeship is very full on as it is set at a Foundation Degree Level, it is made up of two components: ‘The Level 4 Diploma in Public Relations’ and ‘The Standard’. The ‘Diploma’ being the theoretical part and the ‘Standard’ being the practical, backed up by evidence and witness testimonies.
There are a host of webinars you have to attend as well as online all day classrooms, all of which support the many projects, assignments, professional discussions and presentations you need to complete before you reach the ‘Gateway’ milestone at 15 months. Gateway is when all of your main work is completed and you move into the final assessment phase.
As overwhelming as it sounds, and at times it does feel a lot, I have one day in the week which is usually ring-fenced by the Scouts to allow me time for studying and coursework. Learning on the job is ideal, theory and classroom based work is excellent for understanding the fundamentals, but being on an apprenticeship really allows you to see and experience the nuts and bolts of how everything works and gives you a feel for how it is working in the industry.
In terms of the PRCA, the classrooms and interactive sessions have been really eye opening and helpful for my personal development. I have been able to meet apprentices from many different backgrounds and it has been interesting to see how very different they work to how I do at Scouts. It has also made me realise at times how very fortunate I am to be in an apprenticeship at Scouts as the work we do is so diverse. It has also been a time for me to reflect on the bigger picture on how the industry works as a whole, and the fundamentals, ethics and ever changing technology that have driven it to be where it is today.
Very early on at the Scouts I was encouraged to crack on with work such as press releases, pitching and meeting stakeholders. By establishing relationships early on in my career has helped me to make lots of new connections, it has also assisted me to develop my confidence and skills in how I speak to people. I spoke to so many people in my first few weeks from team members and Directors at the Scouts to external stakeholders such as journalists, young people, parents and volunteers. I also learnt quickly that no two days are the same, and life at the Scouts is often fast paced and different to many other PR apprenticeship placements.
There have been so many opportunities given to me in my first year to develop myself both professionally and personally. From out and about shadowing, where I have learnt how to speak to and brief volunteers and young people with the key messages they need to convey on camera, as well as ensuring that we are seen as a diverse and inclusive movement, to working as a team pitching and fixing in, essentially contacting a news outlet to tell them about a story and getting them to agree to run it.
I have also led projects using additional, external members of the team, including booking our photographer and videographer, briefing them on the job and working with them alongside the young people / volunteers to get the task completed. The diversity of working on a computer in an office, to being out and about on location adds an edge to the role in keeping it exciting and different, it also allows you to really develop your adaptability and resilience.
I look back at my first 12 months and it has flown by, sometimes I feel disbelief at some of the projects I have worked on and to see how far I have come. Initially building on my writing skills by starting with drafting press releases, to learning about stakeholder engagement (interacting with anyone who may have an interest, or connection to your project), by meeting one of the Scouts who attended the Inmarsat rocket launch and their family. I have also learnt how to lead my first project: from finding two Scouts and booking our videographer, to then briefing them all on expectations and goals of the project, answering any questions they had and also making them feel comfortable and at ease with the plan ahead, before taking them onto the red carpet at the Dungeons and Dragons film premiere to interview the stars of the film on a very wet March evening.
There have been many more highlights such as working on the Windsor day of celebration last year, which for me included the collating of case studies on the finer details of how some of the individuals achieved their awards for press releases, fixing in (arranging and booking in) of interviews for BBC local radio, and also being second photographer on the day, where I learnt I need to trust myself on the photos I had taken and not check each one.
However, the pinnacle moment of my first 12 months has to be the Coronation of King Charles III. It was such a busy time, but such an enjoyable one too. Combining my knowledge from shadowing on TV work, and communication skills I had built up in the few months prior really helped when I had to go solo at short notice on the eve of the Coronation with two Scouts to Green Park to fix in, meet a journalist and interview for BBC Cymru. With one of the two interviews filmed entirely in Welsh I found it really insightful from another aspect, as I myself am learning Cymraeg. The Coronation weekend was concluded with the ‘Big Help Out’, which again was a busy day with Bear Grylls and The Prince and Princess of Wales. I felt very proud and honoured to have been a part of history.
On reflection I have had so many achievements in my short time so far; many press releases published, images of mine used on a national level on the ITV and published in the Telegraph, attending film premieres, working on BBC’s Masterchef, and working in the team to cover the Inmarsat rocket launch live from Cape Canaveral to name a few. Although it is a fast paced industry the Scouts and the PRCA have been there every step of the way to support me, both check in regularly and ensure I am well challenged to enable me to reach my full potential.
I know the final six months will be the toughest yet as I enter the assessments phase to complete my qualification, but I know that the support I have from the Scouts and the PRCA will allow me to achieve my goal of becoming a PR Professional by the summer. The future looks bright and there are certainly lots more opportunities to develop and new media adventures to come whilst working at the Scouts.
The PRCA delivers the Level 4 PR & Communications Assistant apprenticeship standard which gives individuals the opportunity to work for a real PR agency/team, receive industry training, and earn a salary whilst gaining valuable workplace skills and experience. Practical in nature, PR Apprentices are placed in the workplace and complete on-the-job training, progressing through clear stages of development and a formal assessment. Find out more about the PRCA Apprenticeship programme or Speak to the Team.
