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Hey! I'm Maisy, and I recently completed my Digital Marketing Level 3 apprenticeship with Weston College, working for Visit Somerset.

After completing my apprenticeship in March, I was offered the role of Social Media Manager at Visit Somerset, which wouldn’t have been possible without my apprenticeship.

Let me take you through my apprenticeship journey, the highs, the lessons learned, and the growth I've experienced along the way.

Choosing the Apprenticeship Path

Why did I choose an apprenticeship? Simply put, I wanted to learn by doing. I've never been the most academically inclined, so the idea of working on the job while learning was the perfect balance for me. It allowed me to reach my full potential without the pressures of traditional education.

Gaining Unique Skills

One of the most significant benefits of my apprenticeship was developing my interpersonal skills. I had the chance to interact with customers and partners regularly, which boosted my confidence and communication abilities.

Memorable Moments at Visit Somerset

The highlight of my journey with Visit Somerset was an unforgettable trip to Noah's Ark Zoo.

There, I got to try out new animal experiences and help with filming and social media promotion. Feeding lions, bears, and armadillos was an experience of a lifetime that I'll cherish forever.

A Special Project: 'Dog-Friendly Somerset'

One project that's very close to my heart is 'Dog-Friendly Somerset.' I took it upon myself to showcase how pet-friendly our region is by creating a video at The Eastbury Hotel. The project was a massive success and continues to thrive.

Support from Weston College

I can't emphasise enough the support I received from Weston College during my apprenticeship.

My assessor was exceptional. She guided me, ensured I stayed on track, and relieved any worries about deadlines.

Advice for Future Apprentices

If you're considering an apprenticeship, my advice is simple: go for it!

You'll learn, grow, and get paid for doing what you love. I emerged from my apprenticeship more confident and equipped with skills I wouldn't have gained in a traditional job.

My journey from an apprentice to a Social Media Manager has been incredible. It's shown me the power of hands-on learning and the endless opportunities that come with it. So, whether you're starting your apprenticeship journey or just curious about it, remember that it could be the key to unlocking your full potential, just as it did for me.

Maisy, Social Media Manager, Visit Somerset

If you’d like to follow in Maisy’s footsteps and become an apprentice, you can do so by clicking here.

If you’re an employer that would like to recruit talented new staff through apprenticeships, you can do so by clicking here.

We are aware that since the start of the academic year there have been some issues with some of the local services operated by First Bus, particularly the number 7 and X5 which has impacted our learners travelling to and from our campuses. As a result, we have been in communication with the company and have raised our concerns, as well as those of our learners and their parents.

First Bus have today given us an in-depth update on some of the issues being experienced, which are linked to an upgrade of the local vehicle fleet in and around Weston-super-Mare. This has unfortunately led to some services running late or in some instances being cancelled. The knock-on effect is that where the services have run, there is an increased footfall as a result and some services being full. All of this has obviously impacted the travel of our learners and is something we have voiced with First Bus and they have acknowledged this and asked us to pass on their apologies to our learners about the experience that some may have had recently.

We have been pleased to receive communication from senior members of staff at First Bus who have had this issue escalated to their attention and are taking a proactive approach to rectifying the issue. First Bus have informed us that a number of engineers are working on their fleet and that they anticipate seeing improvement this week and moving into next week.

First Bus have informed us that learners should use the First Bus app to track journeys, including a live interactive map as well as being able to see the number of spaces available on all services. First Bus have assured us that if there is the unfortunate event of a service not running, that the app is updated and the journey will not be able to be tracked.

Our advice to our learners is therefore:

• Check the app regularly prior to travelling.
• Where services run frequently, such as the number 7 (every 20 minutes), maybe consider getting an earlier service to avoid potential disruption at peak times.
• If your travel to college is impacted by the transport network, then message your tutor via Teams to let them know you are running late.

As a college we are doing all that we can to try and resolve this issue on behalf of our learners and are optimistic that this will be resolved very soon. We will continue to post updates on this via our website when we receive them.

If you experience any issues with First Bus, then please contact their customer services team on the below:

• Email: SSC-CustomerFeedback@firstbus.co.uk
• Tel: 03300 947 577

All information on our transport network can be found on our Travelling to College section of the website.