The global health and wellness consumer brand, based in Castle Donington in Leicestershire, has been established for more than 11 years and in recent years has extended its growing team with apprentices. Apprentices, Cris says, bring fresh ideas and a new perspective to the business.
Sam Dooley is one of their newest recruits, having joined in September 2018. He was recruited by Learning Unlimited’s team in Derby and is now working towards a Level 3 Marketing Apprenticeship.
“Our business covers 46 different countries, which means we have a lot of marketing to do. It’s a relatively small team and Sam joined us at a time when we needed someone with experience of social media that could help us develop that side of things,” explained Cris.
“In a relatively short time, Sam has come on in leaps and bounds. He’s made the role his own. He picked things up so quickly and is very much part of the team. He has his own areas of the business that he deals with and we don’t see him as ‘just an apprentice’. He takes care of his areas of the business and, as such, is subject to the same perks and bonuses that the rest of the team enjoy.”
The 17-year-old works across different social media channels and manages the content of the company’s multiple Instagram accounts and Facebook pages and he is instrumental in taking care of the influencer programme, communicating with those social media influencers relevant to the sector. What’s more, Cris says, Sam is very proactive and is happy to go the extra mile for the benefit of the business.
“Our experience of apprentices is a positive one and I would definitely recommend apprenticeships as they add a fresh, youthful perspective. Sam, for example, brings with him a different perspective and new ideas that only someone of his age group can offer. To flourish in marketing you need the aspect of youth and a knowledge of the audience; what’s popular, what’s not, and what’s being talked about.”
Healthy Stuff Online work with Learning Unlimited to provide the support Sam needs to work towards his apprenticeship qualifications.
“We block out every Thursday so that he can study and do his own projects and speak to people around the business. For us, as a business, that’s a day out of his working week but it is well worth this investment as we get so much back from having Sam here.”
Added Cris: “He’s learning lots too. I would like to think he will be with us for the long-term. But should he leave in the future, I’m sure he would have all the skills now to be able to walk into any marketing role… Not that I want him to leave any time soon! I hope he will be part of the team for quite a while.”