How Gracie Turned Her Apprenticeship into a Permanent Career at Beercocks

How Gracie Turned Her Apprenticeship into a Permanent Career at Beercocks

When Gracie started her Level 3 Digital Marketing Apprenticeship, she hoped it would give her the experience and confidence to build a career in marketing. Less than two years later, she’s achieved exactly that. Having completed her apprenticeship, Gracie is now a permanent Social Media Marketer at Beercocks, where she continues to create engaging content and develop the company’s online presence.

Where It All Began

Gracie’s journey with Beercocks began when she explored apprenticeship opportunities with HBTC. Through the recruitment process, HBTC supported Gracie in identifying an opportunity that matched her interests in marketing and helped her take the first steps towards a career in the industry. She was drawn to the opportunity because the process felt straightforward and welcoming, describing HBTC as having “plenty of options, kind staff, and an easy recruitment process”.

Like many apprentices, the first few weeks were all about settling in, meeting new colleagues and getting to grips with new skills. Alongside learning from her team at Beercocks, she also had regular support from her college tutor, helping her balance work and study throughout the programme.

Learning by Doing

From day one, Gracie was trusted with real responsibilities. Her role included creating marketing materials for properties, editing photos and videos, managing inboxes, producing social media content, and scheduling posts across Beercocks’ social media channels.

As the months went on, so did her confidence. She developed skills in social media management, content creation, campaign planning, copywriting and analytics, while also improving her communication, organisation and time management. Looking back, she believes the apprenticeship helped her grow in more ways than one. “I have gained a lot of independence and confidence during the apprenticeship.”

A Proud Moment

When asked what she’s most proud of, Gracie doesn’t hesitate. “Passing my apprenticeship.” Although she enjoyed every project she worked on, one experience stands out in particular: taking part in the interview with her end-point assessment examiners. Since completing the programme, she’s moved into a permanent marketing role with even more responsibility, something she says has shown her just how much she’s developed.

“Since starting my apprenticeship, I have progressed from an apprentice role into a marketing-focused position with greater responsibility, which has shown me how much I have developed both professionally and personally.” She also feels much more confident stepping outside of her comfort zone. “I feel more confident when dealing with new people and taking on new tasks.”

Continuing Her Journey at Beercocks

Staying at Beercocks was always the goal for Gracie. When asked about her plans after completing the apprenticeship, her answer was simple: “Staying on at Beercocks.” She’s now looking forward to continuing to build her career and create even more content across the company’s social media platforms.

Reflecting on the programme as a whole, Gracie says the combination of learning in the lessons and applying those skills in the workplace made a huge difference. “I have found the apprenticeship great as it has helped me develop practical marketing skills and apply my learning directly to my role.”

She would happily recommend the apprenticeship route to others, particularly because of the support she received throughout. “My tutor Sophie was great and was always in touch and reassuring.” She has one final message she’d like to share: “I want to say a thank you to Sophie for being a great teacher throughout my apprenticeship!!” (A huge well done to our incredible tutor, Sophie!)

Why Beercocks Believes in Apprentices

For Laura, Admin Manager at Beercocks, Gracie’s success story is exactly why the business continues to invest in apprentices. “We look for attitude and potential, knowing we can teach the skills and support them to develop in the Beercocks way.” Over the years, Beercocks has seen apprentices progress into senior sales, management and media roles, proving that apprenticeships aren’t just about filling vacancies; they’re about building careers.

The business has worked closely with HBTC for a number of years, and Laura says the recruitment process has always been a positive experience. “They take the time to understand what we are looking for and help us find the right candidate for our business, not just someone to fill a role.”

More Than Just Extra Support

As apprentices settle into the business, they’re encouraged to take on more responsibility and become part of the team. According to Laura, that’s exactly what happens. “They become a crucial part of the team, supporting day-to-day operations and contributing to the smooth running of the department.” Beercocks has also found that apprentices often bring fresh ideas, particularly when it comes to marketing and social media. When asked whether apprentices have introduced innovative ideas to the business, Laura states, “Yes, too many to count.”

She explains that many of the ways the business works today have been influenced by ideas from apprentices. “We strongly believe that the people doing the job day in, day out are best placed to identify the quickest and most effective ways of working.”

Advice for Other Employers

Laura encourages other businesses to consider apprenticeships, but says success comes from giving apprentices the right support. “Go for it and invest the time into getting it right.” She believes businesses that focus on finding people with the right attitude, rather than expecting them to know everything from day one, will see the greatest long-term benefits.

For Gracie, that investment has paid off. What started as an opportunity to gain experience has become the start of a career. From apprentice to permanent Social Media Marketer, her journey shows just how much can be achieved with the right support, a willingness to learn, and an employer that’s prepared to invest in potential. Well done, Gracie!

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