APPRENTICES ARE CENTRAL TO THE SUCCESS AND GROWTH OF THE TOTAL GUIDE TO FRANCHISE

As National Apprenticeship Week 2023 begins (Feb 6 to Feb 10), the team at Total Guide to are celebrating the young talent within their growing team.

Founder Liz Hutchings has always embraced apprenticeships from the first moment she was able to recruit after starting and developing her own business. Today Total Guide to has seven platforms across the UK with Total Swindon as the founding site.

Liz said: “The theme this year for #NAW2023 is ‘skillsforlife’ and I totally support that. We’ve seen our apprentices grow and develop both professionally and personally. I feel that apprenticeships are a fantastic route to a fulfilling career and that employers who embrace apprentices must do so with a mindset of supporting, nurturing and encouraging that new staff member to learn, develop and progress.”

Bethany Fry started with Total Guide to through the training provider Green Labyrinth as a digital marketing apprentice in 2017. She worked hard and passed her Level 4 Digital Marketing in 2020.

Bethany's passion was in social media and after passing her apprenticeship she was then taken on as a full-time employee as a social media executive, assisting the team with managing the Total Guide to accounts and most recently managing client accounts.

“Bethany immerses herself in the world of social media and is constantly listening to podcasts and reading updates and loves to push the boundaries and try out new things for us and our clients to always make sure we're leading the way. She’s now an expert herself and this brings huge value for us all,” Liz said.

Bethany, who lives in Swindon, said: “I'm beyond delighted to have been promoted from social media executive to social media manager at Total Guide to. I began my journey as an apprentice, so it has been wonderful to see the business grow over the years, as well as myself as a person.”

Phoebe Hooper also joined the business as a Digital Marketing Apprentice in 2018. She passed her Level 3 Digital Marketing in 2020 and since then has had two promotions and is now the Campaigns Account Manager for Total Guide to.

She said: “I'm very pleased with my new role as the digital marketing executive and account manager for Total Guide to. I'm excited to have this opportunity to develop my skills and qualifications in SEO.”

Liz said: “Throughout the last few years Phoebe’s organisational and critical thinking skills coupled with the understanding of search engine optimisation has led to her role becoming more focussed towards client account management and SEO for the Total sites and client accounts.

“It's a really fast-paced role with many clients from a wide variety of different sectors but Phoebe is really able to dedicate time and skills to making sure the Total sites and client campaigns are performing as highly as possible and we've all enjoyed huge growth since Phoebe has been focussing on these areas, so a promotion was absolutely due.

“No matter how busy Phoebe is she will never think of the 'easy' way and always smartly thinks about how things can be done better and more effectively - even if that means more work for her!”

The latest apprentice to join the team is Ellie Benge, who is the team’s latest Digital Marketing apprentice. Working with New College, Ellie hopes to start her career and build on it as both Bethany and Phoebe have done before her.

Liz said: “Ellie is absolutely fantastic and is working so well with Phoebe and Bethany - enabling them to work more strategically by assisting them with their heavy workloads. She really is a gem and we can already see her potential.”

Ellie, who is a former student of Commonweal School, knew she didn’t want to go to university. With the support of her mum, who works in sales and marketing, she identified that digital marketing might be a good career path for her. She saw an advertisement from the Total Guide to the team and the rest is history.

“I know I wanted to earn and also to learn and gain a qualification so this was perfect for me. I joined a few months ago and it’s been absolutely brilliant. The team are wonderful and supportive, we meet up once a week and even though I work from home, I feel part of this team.

“I’m enjoying learning, I enjoy learning about this company and its principles and ethics and I’m excited for what my future holds.”

Find out more about National Apprentice Week by visiting: https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/influencers/national-apprenticeship-week