A Day In The Life: Ellie Smith, Project Support Apprentice
Welcome to our new blog series, ‘A Day In The Life…’ which is based on each member of the CMP team and what they get up to on a typical day at work.
First up is Ellie Smith, wAVE Digital Project Administrator Apprentice. Ellie is working full time on various administrative aspects of the wAVE project, as well as working towards a Level 3 Apprenticeship and Diploma in Business Administration.
Read on for more on how Ellie spends her time at Cornwall Museums Partnership.
When I was asked to write a blog post about my ‘typical’ day as a Project Support Apprentice, I began to compile a list of what I do each day. Eventually, when that list was spilling onto a third page, I realised that there is no typical day as an apprentice. One of the real joys of my job-role is that I am always doing something different and, more often than not, something new. Actually, I would say a day in the life of a Project Support Apprentice is summed up by doing something new; whether it’s training, using practical skills, or meeting new people. This has pushed me to see challenges and unfamiliar tasks as a way to increase my understanding of the sector and apply the knowledge I’ve gained in practical ways.
Essentially, every day as an apprentice is a school day, particularly as an apprentice on the wAVE project. A key aspect of the project that I help to run is our ‘Immersive Tech Introductions’ sessions, which have been set up to increase the digital skills of SMEs across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Not only have I learned so much about event organisation through actually putting on these training sessions, I have also been opened up to a wealth of knowledge from the immersive tech experts who have hosted the various sessions.
A good portion of my time is spent doing research and development, specific to the modules in my BTEC qualification – this can be anything from ICT and administration to more complex project management skills. What I value most about my typical working day is that I am always presented with opportunities to practically apply the knowledge I am gaining through my theoretical work. For me, having tangible ways to put new skills into practice really motivates me to keep improving and allows me to reflect on the work I’ve done. For example, since I have done a lot of theoretical work on digital communication, I have noticed a huge difference in the quality of the social media and marketing content I have created.
It’s not just the skills and knowledge I gain in my day-to-day role that has such an impact on my personal development, I have gained so much value and insight from all of the people I meet through wAVE. One day we may be working with an innovative tech company, like Hi9, the next day I get to meet the incredible staff and volunteers at one of our partner museums. Whomever it is, I always come away having learned something new, whether it is a different point of view, cross-sector knowledge, or an interesting fact about a museum’s collection. Getting to work with such a diverse range of passionate people really is one of my favourite things about going to work each day.
Though this isn’t really a recount of my typical day at work (usually emails, Zoom meetings, spreadsheets, Canva, and a lot of keyboard bashing) I wanted to write about what I feel defines my role in particular. I don’t think there will be another point in my career where I have so many opportunities to try out new things, absorb knowledge, and have the opportunity to get it wrong and try again.
That’s why I love doing this apprenticeship, each day is filled with the prospect of opportunity and fresh perspectives. I think everyone could benefit from a bit more of ‘something new’ in their typical day at work.
-Ellie Smith
Ellie works Monday – Friday and can be reached at eleanor@cornwallmuseumspartnership.org.uk
