Holly Salisbury

With an Apprenticeship, you are learning all the time. It gives you fantastic experience in the working world and the hands-on training gives you a real chance to put your skills into practice. An Apprenticeship really helps you to gain confidence in a working environment.

Holly Salisbury started her studies at LMC in 2017 when she enrolled onto the Business & Enterprise Level 3 course. On this course she increased her business theory knowledge, went on several educational trips and engaged with various guest speakers. Holly explained that studying at LMC was one of the best decisions she’s made in terms of her education. 

After her studies, Holly was recommended to apply for an upcoming Executive Assistant role at CancerCare and was successful in her application, later becoming a Business Administration Level 4 Apprentice with Executive Assistant duties.   

When I got offered the job I was told the Apprenticeship would run through LMC. I was so pleased because of how much I'd enjoyed studying at the College. It was also good to maintain that sense of familiarity with people I knew. 

When we asked Holly about the benefits of studying an Apprenticeship at LMC, Holly highlighted that the 3 biggest benefits for her were the training opportunities, being paid to learn and the valuable tutor support. 

I've enrolled onto multiple Part Time courses at LMC during my Apprenticeship, one of them being Leadership & Management CMI Level 5. CMI is a nationally recognised qualification and due to me being an apprentice, these opportunities have been offered free of charge. They’ve all been a huge help to me and, ultimately, CancerCare.

Holly’s apprenticeship finished in July 2021 and she landed a job as Volunteer Coordinator which required her to support, manage and guide the volunteers at CancerCare. In July 2022 a new role of Digital Marketing Assistant became available which Holly took on and has been enjoying ever since. Holly designs all CancerCare assets, manages their social media pages, websites and supports fundraisers with the marketing of events.

Holly explained she has developed a wide range of skills throughout her time at CancerCare so far and she’s excited to continue developing them further. 

I absolutely love my role as Digital Marketing Assistant, it’s a very well suited role to me and I’m excited to see where my career in marketing goes. In January 2024 CancerCare have given me the opportunity to take a 12 month sabbatical so I can pursue my passion for travelling. I plan to return to my marketing role in January 2025.

Holly’s proudest achievement since starting her Apprenticeship is having her work recognised in local newspapers, Lancaster Guardian and The Visitor, where articles were published detailing a well-being campaign she had planned and conducted in the workplace.  

For her ‘Health & Happiness Challenge’, Holly put staff members in teams and set a variety of creative and fitness challenges to keep everyone physically, mentally and socially active, at a time where many colleagues were working from home and unable to engage in their usual daily contact. This initiative was praised by her work colleagues with CancerCare CEO, Alison Stainthorpe, stating it really helped the staff to regain the ‘family’ feeling they know and love at CancerCare. 

Explaining how her experience of being an apprentice during the Covid-19 Pandemic has been, Holly noted her tutor, Sue Nutter, always ensured she had everything she needed and supported her along the way despite their meetings taking place remotely. 

When asked what advice she would give to someone considering applying for an Apprenticeship at LMC, Holly said: 

LMC is a fantastic college to complete an Apprenticeship with; you receive a huge support network, the staff always go above and beyond to help their students with their studies and you feel as though they want you to succeed.