A student has tweeted his way to success as a social media apprentice.
Eighteen-year-old Joel Plews, from Macclesfield, has landed his first full-time job as a social media apprentice at a marketing agency Journey9.
He is now encouraging other young people in the area to put themselves forward for the UK’s first ever industry-led social media apprenticeship programme, The Juice Academy, after standing out at its rigorous bootcamp selection day.
Seizing the chance to learn all about putting his hobby to use in a commercial setting, Joel made the decision to jump straight into his career instead of working a part-time job or going to university like many people his age.
As part of his day-to-day role, Joel will be tasked with creating online content for Journey9, while regularly attending The Juice Academy in Castlefield to train in social media management.
He said: “Social media is already a huge part of my daily life, so I feel privileged to be able to use these skills to kick-start my career. I’m learning something new every day while at Journey9 and feel like I’m making a positive difference to the company. University is not the only option for people my age and I’m glad my career is starting now, rather than in a few years. If I could give any advice to fellow teenagers in a similar position, it would be to give it a go – you never know where the opportunity might lead.
“By the end of the apprenticeship, I won’t be saddled with thousands of pounds worth of debt and I’ll have one of the most valuable things employers look for – on-the-job experience.”
The apprenticeship programme has created 69 jobs for young social media students since its launch in June 2013.
Joel is one of 12 apprentices in the academy’s sixth cohort of budding young social media stars, who have been placed in leading North West businesses to learn on the job.
