Unit 11 // Task 1.2

This task cover progression routes and trends into Creative Media Production. While there are several different routes to my own particular goals I wish to analyse each route to establish the effectiveness of them for my own future ambitions. It is hoped that by increasing my knowledge in this field, I can make a more informed choice regarding my future.

For further education, I feel as if college is the best option as it will help me gain more knowledge on the whole media industry and see if this course is the one for me or not. The college provides us with a level 2/3 course which is also very useful as we can learn different things throughout the years, I have a lot of opportunities in my chosen path as I have also had work experience, even though they were not media related, it still helped me boost my confidence and self-esteem when it comes to working with strangers which is what I will need to do in the future working in the media industry. The pros of this particular path is that it help me gain more experience and knowledge on camera work, editing skills, producing my own films/videos etc, so that I am prepared for the future. However the cons is that if I study a certain subject (media) for 3 years and I do not think it is the right one for me at the end then that would have been a waste of time. Also college is quite hard so I will have to make sure I work very hard and get all of my work done to achieve my goals. 

For higher education I think it is best for me to go to University, this will help me not only get my degree, but also get me ready for the future. The course I would choose at University is film/TV, this will help me have a better understanding of the course itself and if I am ready to continue my journey working within this industry for the next 3 years in Uni and after that outside of Uni. There are a lot of opportunities that I can have for example, it will prepare me for the future when I am ready to work in the media industry specifically with filming and TV. It will also improve my skills with editing which is something that I find quite difficult. The pros of this is it will help me develop transferable skills that will help me succeed in my future career. It will also make me more employable as being educated to degree level is very useful for the future. however, the cons is that I go there but I change my mind and realise that Uni is not for me, this comes with a price as I would have to pay and waste my time. 

An apprenticeship is a job which includes training and getting paid. There are three types of Apprenticeships which are; foundation, apprenticeship and higher apprenticeship, this is due to the fact that certain jobs need different qualification levels high than others.

There are pros and cons when it comes to apprenticeships.

• The experience that you had can make your CV stand out and can help in the future.
• It will increase you confidence and help you have better communication skills as you will be interacting with lots of different people.
• It is a chance to use and show your skills and maybe even improve them by working and studying at the same time.
• You will always have support if you need it by your manager and to show you how things are done.
• The most important advantage is that it will be very rewarding in the end as it will lead to a variety of options that you will want to prosper in the future, also showing that you have got the plus qualifications is important and makes you have a better chance of good career prospects. On the other hand, there are also some disadvantages of apprenticeships.               
• You cannot gain access to certain careers through an apprenticeship route this is due to the fact that it is essential for certain careers of having an undergraduate degree.                           
• The responsibility, it might be overwhelming for some people at first as there will be many deadlines to meet and making sure you please your clients.                                                     
• The salary is lower.
• Holidays are shorter.

The requirements to do an apprenticeship is it will be useful to have GCSEs in english and maths in order to do the required calculations and measurements with whatever course you decide to take. At least five GCSE grades A – C  also Level 3 qualifications. Some will expect or require applicants to have subjects related to the particular apprenticeship.

1. Digital marketing: Maintaining a distinct online presence by creating and scheduling diverse and topical content to increase brand awareness, followers and engagement across a number of social platforms. The qualifications needed are GCSE english and maths. It requires you to work 30 hours per week and you earn £120.00 per week which will increase after 12 months once qualified. The desired skills include being able to have blog writing skills, hard working and productive, good grammar and spelling, and good research and analysis skills.
2. Senior Media Officer: You will be responsible for line managing a team of Information Officers to deliver media announcements and campaigns to raise awareness of DfE and GEO policy. This will include providing bespoke advice and guidance on how to effectively reach external audiences and maximise positive responses from stakeholders. You will earn £44.134 – £49,063 a year, you will need to have had experience of working in a fast-paced media office and management skills. Also good writing and communication skills.

There are four levels of apprenticeships which are the following: Higher apprenticeships, Intermediate apprenticeships (equivalent to five GCSEs), Degree (which can include study at university) and Advanced level apprenticeships (which are equivalent to two A-levels). 

A work placement is supervised work with a company, depending on the job you want to take. You will need to be studying at school/college/university and have good communication skills, also experience with work from your past or at school will help you to do a work placement.

Apprenticeships help you gain the skills and knowledge you need to succeed in your chosen industry for your future. Getting into employment earlier means there’s lots of potential for you to progress in your career quickly. 

Work placements helps you have a potential to provide opportunities for students to learn more about their own abilities. It helps them explore their strengths and weaknesses and find out what they need to improve on in their skills.

In conclusion, work placements for me would be the better option as I want to study at university rather than doing an apprenticeship, also in my opinion I think work placements would benefit me more as it would boost my confidence and improve my communication skills with people and get me ready for the future.

Employment and self-employment, there are many opportunities such as:

• Accountancy, banking and finance.
• Business, consulting and management.
• Charity and voluntary work.
• Creative arts and design.
• Engineering and manufacturing.
• Healthcare.

To achieve them, you can do work experience on one of these options to prepare you for your employment/self employment in the future. 

From this task, I have learnt the differences between apprenticeships and work placements and how they both benefit us in different ways. I also learnt new things about them both and have a better understanding of them.