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Name: Zahra Errammi
Age: 26
From: Anglesey
Apprentice Employer: ITV Cymru Wales
Apprentice Job Title: Creative and Digital Apprentice
What were you doing prior to the apprenticeship?
Before the apprenticeship, I was a floor manager in a popular high street fashion store.
Why did you want to do the apprenticeship?
I’ve never considered myself the “academic” type, and never really found something I was 100% sure about to even apply for University, so an apprenticeship in a creative field where you can learn on the job seemed the perfect match. I’d been working as a freelance Make-up artist for a few years and loved working TV and film jobs, so the interest in the industry was always there, but I felt like I had more to offer.
What did the apprentice job entail?
I was lucky enough to try my hand at most roles within the newsroom, from camera operating, gallery roles to writing original journalism pieces for the ITV Wales website. I found my place in Digital and really enjoyed the Journalistic side of news, so I stayed on at Digital and got to take creative control over the Instagram which took me to some new heights (literally) – on the roof of the Principality for instance – not somewhere I’d ever thought I’d be!
What programmes/projects did you work on?
I’ve been involved with so much during my time, I got to kick-off my apprenticeship working within the Welsh current affairs l team, working as a researcher for programmes like Ein Byd and Y Byd ar Bedwar. Also created original social content for both ITV News and Hansh S4C. Making bespoke digital content for ITV News for Pride Cymru, is by far one of my proudest projects.
Did you face any difficulties whilst doing your apprenticeship?
No, not really. I struggled slightly with re-doing my essential skills, but the support of my peers and staff at Sgil Cymru helped me get them done and out of the way so I could progress with my work. Otherwise, it was plain sailing from the start and throughout.
What happened when you completed your apprenticeship?
I got lucky! A job as a trainee Digital Journalist came up for the digital platform Hansh S4C and I honestly couldn’t have dreamt of a better job fit for me. I applied and secured an interview. Two weeks later, with a month left of my apprenticeship I got the news that I had got the job. So I started work straight away after I finished the apprenticeship.
Have you changed/grown as a result of the apprenticeship?
I think I’ve grown a huge amount in terms of my confidence and skills from doing an apprenticeship. I’ve also seen a great improvement in my Welsh language skills, both oral and written, from doing some modules in Welsh at Sgil Cymru and working within the Welsh language department at ITV Wales. I would say I’ve changed my attitude towards work, after years of working in retail I was unmotivated and lacked focus in my career. Now that I enjoy work, I’m genuinely excited to get up each morning to go to work and have a much more positive outlook.
What is the next career step for you?
I hope to gain as much experience and new skills from the traineeship as I can get, to hopefully secure a Multimedia Journalist position at ITV, a position that’s more digitally focused than a traditional journalism roles. I would love to eventually produce long-form digital content for one of the big broadcasters.
UPDATE SPRING 2022
Zahra is currently a Digital Video Producer & Presenter at ITV News based at ITN in London.
Where was your first placement with Sgil Cymru?
My first placement was with ITV Cymru in Cardiff Bay.
When was the moment that things began to fall into place? That you knew you were in the right place?
I felt immediately welcome at ITV Cymru, and I think I’d anticipated that everyone was far too busy and important to give the apprentice the time of day – that was never the case, everyone was super excited to have us and more than willing to listen to fresh perspective and ideas.
I got to spend time on the digital desk, and I felt my ideas were valued and I was given a lot of responsibility early on – that’s when I felt I’d found my forte.
What’s the biggest obstacle you think you’ve overcome either during or following on from your apprenticeship?
My biggest obstacle was definitely something I’d realised after the apprenticeship, that the industry can be quite competitive – to one opportunity there will be 20 other people who also want the same one. But I think if you stay authentic, have good ideas and work ethic – competition isn’t a problem!
What’s the best piece of advice you were given as an apprentice?
Sue Jeffries once told me to ‘not get comfortable’ where you are, and as soon as you feel you’re not progressing or not learning – it’s time to move on. I’ve stuck by that, and progression is something I’ve achieved year on year since hearing that. It’s easy to get stuck in one place and thankful for the opportunity, but in an industry where things change and develop all the time, you must do the same.
What advice would you give to someone starting out as an apprentice?
The more skills the better! Take in everything you learn both at Sgil Cymru and on placement, try your hand at everything you can do, in the long run being a jack of all trades really pays off. Also, stay true to yourself, what makes you different to other candidates and applicants in future jobs is your authenticity and your values – so don’t fall victim to the glitz and the glamour of the industry!