Digital Support Technician Apprentice Case Study

Click the video above to hear about Ruby’s Digital Support Technician apprenticeship experience.

What interested you in becoming a Digital Apprentice?

“The Digital Support Technician apprenticeship initially appealed to me as it provides such a wide range of experience. Since starting, I have gained experience in marketing, IT, customer support and client communication. All of these areas are applicable to most office environments. Based on this, I decided that the DST apprenticeship was the right one for me as it would allow me to have experience in different areas of the working world and find out what works best for me.”

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Since starting your apprenticeship with Purpose Media, how have your role responsibilities progressed?

“When I began at Purpose Media I carried out jobs like website population and browser testing. Whilst I do still complete these tasks occasionally, I now also work on redirects, paid advertising, blog writing and website building, among other tasks. I have now also progressed into working in project management alongside my existing web-support responsibilities.”

Approximately only 21% of IT Technician roles in the UK are held by women. As a woman in the digital sector, why do you think this is and what do you think could be done to increase the number of women in this industry?  

“Initially, when I was applying for apprenticeships, I spoke to my friends about what career roles I was looking into. When I spoke to some of my male friends about my interest in the IT industry, they were surprised and tried to discourage me from going down the IT route. They based this on the assumption that no one would take me seriously in the IT world as a young woman.

However, I’ve been pleasantly surprised in my time at Purpose Media: I have never felt at a disadvantage based on my gender. While we do have a predominantly male IT department, everyone has been very supportive in helping me develop in my career.

I do believe we need more representation of younger women working in the IT industry and more information on how to get into the IT industry. When I was at school there were no girls who took IT at GCSE and no one really considered it as a career path as we didn’t have the information on how to get into the industry.”

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What advice would you give to young women who may be interested in the digital industry but are unsure if they want to move forward with their interests due to the above?

“I would say go for it. Doing an apprenticeship in IT has been the best decision I’ve made for my career and I’ve faced far fewer difficulties than I thought I would. While there are many who think less of women in the IT sector, there are also many people who will support you in your career growth and help you prove those who don’t believe in you wrong.”

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Did you have any preconceptions of what the IT industry would be like? If yes, how has your view changed as you have progressed in your apprenticeship?

“I had assumed that the industry would be very male-dominated. While this assumption has been correct, I have also found much more support from those in the IT industry than I thought I would. Many of my colleagues have helped me develop my IT skills and progress in my career. I’ve also found Purpose Media very encouraging of me developing my interests in IT and I’ve been provided with courses in coding to do to help me develop my skills.”

What does your future look like with Purpose Media?

“Once I complete my Level 3 DST apprenticeship at Purpose Media I’ll be looking into Project Management specific qualifications. I’ll be continuing to develop my IT skills and work within the Project Management team.”

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Interested to know more?

Sometimes it’s hard to picture what a day as an apprentice could be like – no need to struggle! Watch Ruby’s Day In The Life video:

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Further Information

If you would like any further information regarding our apprenticeship courses, please explore our website www.ematraining/courses.co.uk

Or contact the team today at [email protected]

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If you would like to read some more Apprentice Case Studies, please see the below…

‍Digital Support Technician Level 3 – Michael
Digital Marketer Level 3 – Jordan‍
More.