10 great things about doing an apprenticeship with Teach First

1. Gain relevant skills and experience on the job

An apprenticeship is perfect for learning the skills you need for your career through a hands-on approach. You can dive straight into essential tasks.

For example, when I started my digital marketing apprenticeship, I had a meeting with my manager to learn how to use Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SMC) and create a monthly newsletter. Instead of learning through watching a video or reading a how-to guide, I attempted it myself and learned how it worked. Once you gain the experience, you can add that to your skill set and CV.

2. Provide your team with knowledge you’ve learned through your apprenticeship

During your apprenticeship, you attend delivery sessions where you learn theories and best practice in your field. You are tested on this knowledge to make sure you understand it and why it is used. You can use these theories and practices in your work tasks; therefore, as an apprentice you become a valuable member that can bring something different to the team.

For example, if an apprentice is working on social media posts, they can suggest tools and ways to help a post perform well. Although learning on the job has benefits for the apprentice, their technical knowledge can be valuable for the team and organisation.

3. Apprenticeships are a great alternative to university 

The traditional route young people take after they finish sixth form college is to attend university, but this option is not for everyone. University takes three to four years to complete and can involve thousands of pounds worth of student debt. The style of learning in university also don’t work for some people, which is why apprenticeships are a great alternative.  

You’re able to have a mixture of learning through experience and traditional learning. Completing a marketing degree would not guarantee that you have the skills and experience to understand marketing roles, whereas marketing apprentices have been in the role during their apprenticeship.

4. Gain an industry-recognised qualification

After you’ve completed your apprenticeship, you receive a qualification in the field you were working in. This not only motivates you because you are working towards something, but it is also evidence that you understand the subject.

Your qualification can be added to your CV once you’ve completed your apprenticeship to show to future employers. Working towards a qualification as an apprentice makes going into a new role feel less intimidating, because you start to use a growth mindset and understand that you can always learn more.

5. Apprenticeships lead to career opportunities

Apprenticeships give you a head start when you are applying for jobs. Not only can you prove you have the relevant experience and qualifications needed, but you can also demonstrate this to future employers using your end-point portfolio. includes all the important projects you worked on during your apprenticeship. This is what employers look for when hiring, which puts you ahead of university graduates.

Once you are no longer an apprentice, you can aim for higher level jobs now that you have the experience and skills needed for those roles. For example, apprenticeships in education related organisations can help you get a job in an education charity like Teach First.

6. Teach First helps fight injustice in the education system

Before I decided to do an apprenticeship, I tried university for one year and studied an Education degree. My goal was to become a teacher because I wanted to make a change in children’s lives.  Although I am now studying towards a qualification in digital marketing, I am still working towards my original motivation through Teach First. In the organisation, everyone is playing a role to help fight the injustice in the education system.

7. Teach First practices Agile working

Teach First offers Agile working which is perfect for self-learning during my apprenticeship. This has helped me work in a way that maximises my productivity when it comes to my work tasks and apprenticeship assignments. For example, I am able to begin work at 10am, instead of 9am if I feel as though my productivity will be better when I start and finish later than 9-5. This is great because you create a schedule that works for your needs, and you’re able to get a lot more done this way.

8. Teach First is big on diversity and inclusion

Teach First’s main values is diversity and inclusion. This makes me feel welcome in the organisation as I am Black, disabled and Muslim. I’ve felt supported at my team who are dedicated to making me feel included through accessibility and educating themselves.

My line manager and I attended a Vitality session together. Teach First has Vitality sessions for different groups (for example LGBTQ+, or disability) to interact with other people in Teach First who share those experiences, as well as those who are trying to become better allies.

9. Teach First brings quality teachers into schools

Trainees and ambassadors align with Teach First’s mission which means that teachers, who are committed to changing children’s lives through inclusion and diversity, are being provided to schools that need it. Part of my role includes posting a jobs thread on Twitter once a week, which includes teaching vacancies that ambassadors can apply for. This is how my role contributes to providing quality teachers to schools that need it.

10. You get to work with different teams within Teach First

In Teach First, although you spend majority of your time within your team, you have opportunities to work with different teams. This is because certain tasks and projects require you to reach out to different teams.

An example of this is that one time, an ambassador sent an email explaining that they would like to get involved with volunteering for Teach First. This meant that I had to contact the volunteering team and work together to provide the relevant information and ways the ambassador could get involved with Teach First. This is great because you get a glimpse into other teams that work on tasks that are very different to yours, as well as interacting with more Teach First members at the organisation.

Interested in becoming an apprentice at Teach First? Check our opportunities on the National Apprenticeship Service.

Find out more about working at Teach First.

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