The Juice Academy: Been there, done that.

A year ago, I started this apprenticeship journey with West Midlands Fire Service and The Juice Academy by being carried across West Midlands Fire Service Headquarters' reception by a guy I had met probably about half an hour previously, while making fire engine noises. It might possibly have been the most embarrassing six seconds of my life.

And now, here we (being the other Cohort 3 apprentices) all are, about to carry ourselves into the weird and wonderful digital world.

We live in a society where young people are often harshly judged or assumed to be up to no good of some kind. If we make a mistake, we're often not given a second chance - instead we're thrown on to the scrap heap and that's it. There are a few who would go as far as to say that, as a generation, we are lost.

In an often corporate world,  there are a few organisations who want to look past the stereotypes and help the people behind them. Anyone who knows me (or reads this blog) knows how passionate about The Prince's Trust, who are a great example. The Juice Academy is another.

I'm a true believer in appreciating those who have helped you and this has become part of my philosophy in life - sometimes, you have to give credit where it's due. The Juice Academy is doing more than it's part to get young people, not just into jobs but into careers where they can really make something of themselves and become whoever they want to be.

Taking a young person with no experience into your business is a risk. It's a huge risk, we can't deny that. But let's just hold that one up for a second - do we have no experience?

We are the young people that have grown up around social media.

We are the young people that get criticised for being on social media for too many hours in the day.

We are the young people who know what people want to see on social media because we ARE the people on social media. This is something The Juice Academy has recognised and addressed.

The last year has been particularly important to me. I came into this job having just recovered from a serious illness as well as living in a homeless shelter. I'd been through a pretty tough time for probably 18 months and I just needed a way out, as we all do sometimes.

Although a lot of where I am now is down to my own hard work and refusal to give up (because apparently, I don't mind stroking my own ego), The Juice Academy, Total People and West Midlands Fire Service deserve a lot of credit. It shows the power that organisations can have if the intent is there.

As well as the thanks we all owe to the Academy, I want to give my own thanks to Sandy, Lucy, Amy and all of the tutors for being an influential part in me getting my life back on track. And, of course, for helping us all to gain the skills required to be the next bunch of CEOs, MDs or whatever it is we want to be. The knowledge we gain from the sessions, coupled with guest speakers with a wealth of experience, have made not going back to university the best decision I've ever made.

We can't forget, of course, Total People, who have worked amazingly hard to get us all across the finish line. I'm half surprised Dave (one of the assessors) didn't take an injunction out against me, the amount I was hassling him over the past few months. The great thing about Total People is that they're not just a training provider, they're also a fantastic support network and I owe huge gratitude to them.

We all owe some sort of gratitude to our employers (even if mine is a Liverpool fan). Ty and Neil have been second to none this year in the way they'e given me advice as well as encouraged me to follow what I'm passionate about. Without patronising me, or treating me like a kid (most of the time ;) ), they've been a massive help and I definitely wouldn't have been able to be in the position I'm in today without their support. I'll be extremely sad to leave at the end of the week and I can't thank them enough for everything they've done for me.

I don't know where we'll be in 5 years. Or in ten years. But what I do know is that, as Juice Academy graduates, this is our moment to really take the mantle and give it our all in the digital world .We nw have the skills and the power, thanks to TJA, to be not just employees in the industry, but to be innovators, influencers, pioneers. I've always wanted to be something more than I'm expected to be. Now that I've graduated from the Academy, I feel even more confident that I can do just that.

The graduation was a fantastic way to end this amazing apprenticeship and I'm proud of all my fellow apprentices for succeeding. I will miss each and every one of them and look forward to seeing their names in the social media news!

Why we're not the 'lost' generation

I’ve seen a few articles floating about over the past year or so referring to my age group and those a little younger as the ‘lost generation.’

Ahem.

Now, obviously I respect the opinions of others, what with me being a half decent human being with a fairly accurate moral compass.

However, the term ‘lost generation’ causes a teeny-weeny crack to appear in my usual composed, respectful and dignified self. I’ve largely kept quiet and got on with what I do but now I feel I should air my frustrations.

Young people, such as myself (just about), make mistakes. We do that. It’s part of being young. Our parents probably made similar mistakes at our age. As did our grandparents. Of course, the situation is different these days and some of my peers’ actions have been less than optimal in terms of decision making.

But before giving us up as a ‘lost’ cause, let’s have a quick scan over some facts:

Our generation have inherited a world of austerity, unemployment and limited opportunity. A world where the rich get richer and the poor, let’s be blunt, kind of get trampled into the dirt.

Despite how the media and our government would portray us, we’re actually (mostly) quite a good bunch of people. Sure, there are some cretinous individuals (-cough- Justin Bieber -cough-), but this is the same as any other generation. Overall, we’re not so bad. Our mistakes are more intensely scrutinised because news (and rumour and prejudice, it is worth pointing out) is so easily visible as a result of the growth of social media.

Let’s take a look at the riots a couple of years ago. I’m not condoning the actions of those involved. They further damaged an already tarnished reputation of young people with mindless acts of greed and criminality that will be remembered for years to come.

But why did it happen?

I saw quotes from people involved mentioning that they were bored angry and frustrated.

We are not the ‘lost generation.’ We are the frustrated generation.

We’re frustrated that, through no fault of our own, we’re forced to struggle much harder than our parents to make something of ourselves and to succeed.

We’re frustrated because our politicians claim to want to help us, then lie to us to gain our vote in unjustifiable attempts to satisfy their lust for power.

But most of all, we’re frustrated that those same politicians have given up on us and labelled us as “lost,” while simultaneously claiming expenses for holiday homes in countries most from my background will never get the opportunity to visit to broaden their horizons.

Why should we, as young people, tolerate such poor and inaccurate prejudice?

How is slapping the ‘lost’ label on us going to benefit us and encourage us to be more than we’re expected to be in this ever toughening world?

Why are our voices not being heard as much as they could be? Why is it right for it to be assumed that because we’re young, we don’t know what we’re talking about?

Of course, it’s not all doom and gloom. Fantastic organisations, such as The Prince’s Trust, do amazing things for young people who need it.

But it’s not enough.

We are the future of this world. We are the people who will lead this country in whatever industry we find ourselves in. It’s time that those in positions of power, whether political power or in the media, have more faith in us and recognise that we are not lost and never will be. It’s time they recognise that we won’t ever accept such unjustified judgement from those who only try and help us if there’s a television crew and journalists there.

Most  of all, it’s time it was recognised that we deserve a whole lot more respect than is given.

5 things you should know about The Juice Academy

The Juice Academy.

It just sounds cool. You see that name and you want to know exactly what they do. It’s certainly what enticed me into finding out more about the apprenticeship I have been on for the past year.

But why should you apply to be in the next batch of their social media superheroes?

1.      Experts. Creating experts.

This fantastic social media apprenticeship is run by experts in social media and the digital industry. They’re professionals in their field passing their knowledge on to help the next generation of the industry. They know their stuff and they also make the lessons as enjoyable as they are useful. They feed your passion and nurture your ambition. What more can you ask for?

2.      They kinda want you to do well

Ok, so I’ve understated this one a bit. The Academy make every effort to make sure you’re able to be at your best by giving you the tools to succeed, not just in the apprenticeship but in your future career too. Of course, the hard work is up to you but it’s a lot easier knowing that the tutors are behind you all the way.

3.      It’s not JUST The Juice Academy

The Apprenticeship isn’t just about The Juice Academy – Total People, the training provider for the course, offer not only educational support but also unrivalled personal support should you need it. I did need it and I can’t fault what they’ve done to help. They deserve a lot of credit and will help you as much as they can should you be a part of TJA! Don't forget, of course, the shed load of guest speakers you'll be privileged to hear from to hear it from all angles. Read one of my fellow apprentice's blog about social media lawyer Steve Kuncewicz's visit for more.

4.      They’re winning.

As much as I hate stroking egos, it might be a little bit deserved here. Only a year after its launch, TJA won a “Skills for Business” Award in Manchester! An award winning apprenticeship scheme run by an award winning PR agency.  Not bad. Learn more about their award success here. 

Award winners: The Juice Academy win "Skills for Business" award, hosted by Dara O'Briain. (pic: The Juice Academy)

5.      You’ll have the time of your life

The Juice Academy isn’t just another course. You won’t be limited to being stuck behind a desk day in, day out. The digital industry has fantastic opportunities to do things you never thought you would (e.g. I got to witness the filming of The Gadget Show, which was pretty cool!). As well as that, when you’re at The Academy itself, you’ll have fun at the same time as being furnished with all the knowledge you’ll need.

To really wrap this blog post up (I’m prone to going on a bit), I’ll just tell you that the past year has been the best of my life. Changing my mind about uni and applying for this apprenticeship was the best decision I ever made.

The good news for you?

The Juice Academy are recruiting for their next cohort of apprentices. The deadline is 16^th January. If you want to break into an exciting and ever-growing industry, make this the day you change your life. You can apply here.

Do you have any questions about The Juice Academy? Are you an apprentice or graduate of The Juice Academy? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!