Shannon Harrison
Business & Enterprise Level 3
Lancaster Girls' Grammar School
2018 - 2022
Marketing Assistant Apprentice
To anyone thinking about starting an Apprenticeship I would say it’s a great idea. My Apprenticeship is allowing me to expand my industry knowledge and is helping me learn which job roles in the industry I’m best suited to. It is also helping me draw a clearer understanding of whether I want my next step to be university, or if I would like to continue with full time employment.
Shannon Harrison was studying three A Levels at Lancaster Girls’ Grammar School when she decided that the learning environment and structure wasn’t for her, and so started searching for a qualification in one specialised subject area.
Shannon explored her options at Lancaster & Morecambe College (LMC), taking her time to find a subject with a balance of hands-on and academic elements to suit her learning style, eventually deciding to enrol onto the Business & Enterprise Level 3 course. She chose this course as she was appealed by the variety of modules offered and the career prospects this would give her. This decision worked for Shannon, feeling instant relief after making the transition.
I felt much happier once joining LMC. The College made me feel like an adult as opposed to a student, which helped to build my confidence and independence.
The difference in environments between a college and sixth form was the initial reason she considered joining LMC, stating that:
The College has a more university-feel with a large campus and more opportunities available to students, including the Erasmus+ programme, National Citizen Service (NCS) and industry-standard facilities.
The main highlights for Shannon were the international trips she attended such as a work placement trip to Italy and a Business Lab Expo at Disneyland Paris, as well as the variety of team building exercises carried out.
The team building exercises and international trips brought us closer together as students and helped us to understand each other’s working styles – this is something that assisted me in group tasks at College and has helped me to work effectively alongside colleagues.
Upon leaving LMC with a D*D*D* in Business & Enterprise Level 3, Shannon knew that marketing was an area she was particularly interested in as it allowed her to continue using creativity, teamwork and presenting, which are all skills she developed during her time as a student.
Knowing this, Shannon applied to be an Assistant Marketing Apprentice at LMC and was successful in her application; something which she describes as her biggest achievement since finishing her course, especially as the job market is very competitive during the Coronavirus pandemic.
I’ve really enjoyed my Apprenticeship so far, it’s been great to focus on developing the skills I found a liking for on my business course. I’ve learnt so much in the past few months from story boarding videos to creating social media campaigns. I think an Apprenticeship is a great way to expand your skillset.
When asked what advice she would give to someone considering applying for a Level 3 Marketing Assistant Apprenticeship, Shannon said:
To anyone thinking about starting an Apprenticeship I would say it’s a great idea. My Apprenticeship is allowing me to expand my industry knowledge and is helping me learn which job roles in the industry I’m best suited to. It is also helping me draw a clearer understanding of whether I want my next step to be university, or if I would like to continue with full time employment.
