To celebrate National Apprentice Week, Omnicell's Marketing Apprentice, April Phillips has written a blog about her opinions on apprenticeships and her experience as an apprentice at Omnicell UK&I.

My apprenticeship journey so far with Omnicell UK&I

Why did I decide to choose an apprenticeship?

Deciding what you want to do after college can be difficult. Making that big decision can ultimately define your future. It can be stressful to say the least. I knew I did not want to go to university as the thought of being in thousands of pounds of debt after studying weighed very heavy on my mind. 

I then thought "what could I do to get my foot in the door?" to the industry and discipline that I wanted to push forward in. I found out there are many ways to jump-start your career. I finally decided to choose the apprenticeship route as it provided experience in a workplace, as well as education and qualification without the debt weighing over you.

Growth in my education, skills, and achievements 

My knowledge about marketing and the healthcare sector has significantly grown since starting at Omnicell UK&I with the support of my manager and the wider team to guide me and help me thrive within the business. Last year I completed my Level 3 Digital Marketer apprenticeship which has taught me the intricate ins and out of the digital marketing world, meaning I could bring more to the table for the business.

After finishing my L3 apprenticeship and gaining myself a distinction, Omnicell UK&I then pushed me forward to a Level 4 Marketing Executive apprenticeship. I have recently started this course and it is already looking like an eye-opener to more knowledge and professional gain. I can’t wait to see what else is in store...

Thanks to my ‘on the job work’ I have learned a variety of skills from my team, from event planning, budgeting, campaign planning to managing social media accounts – there are lots more, the list could go on and on. 

Myself and my team also attended the CPIR awards ceremony and won silver in the category: Corporate and Business Communications Campaign, which felt like a really good achievement for our team and the business especially with me being new to Omnicell.

Due to COVID-19, the last 11 months of my apprenticeship have become remote, which has meant having to work and learn from home. This definitely changed the way I worked. Although this has been really challenging, it’s pushed me to become an independent learner and use my initiative a lot more than I would have under ‘normal’ circumstances.

Without a doubt, this apprenticeship role at Omnicell UK&I has most definitely jump-started my career and education in marketing.

My plan to introduce more Apprentices

When starting at Omnicell UK&I I noticed that I was the only apprentice in the business and I mentioned this to my team who suggested that I should speak to the HR department. This was already on the HR department's radar, so I worked with them to find out if other departments in the business would consider an apprentice on their team. Almost every department supported the idea and welcomed the opportunity to help shape young minds and start their careers in that sector. 

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 and the majority of the business working remotely, we decided to put this project on hold. Nevertheless, the thought that you can provide an opportunity to someone to jump start their career and help a business grow is pretty amazing, don't you think?

For anyone who is considering the apprentice route to support their career, do it! Without a doubt do it! It enables you to gain the much-needed experience and knowledge of the career that you want, all in one place!