National Apprenticeship week 2024 - Libby Whitaker Keating

In celebration of National Apprenticeship week 2024, I have drafted this article to demonstrate what my role entails as a Digital Marketing Apprentice working in the construction industry. Below are a variety of questions I have answered in detail with the aim of inspiring people to start their career in construction.

What was your route into marketing?

I believe I have taken every educational route to end up in the role I am in now. All through school I had the ambition to go to university and continue the education path since I have always been keen to learn and develop my skills in my chosen subject.

However, University did not turn out to be a great match for me and that tends to happen with a lot of people. I then had to think about what I genuinely enjoy and how I would like to spend my time working. Marketing was a great match for me as it incorporates communication and design all into one.

I believe you must try every option to discover which one is the best match for you, which in my case was an apprenticeship.

Why Construction?

Construction offers so many opportunities to gain experience and grow in the evolving sector. A career in construction can be extremely broad where there are various departments which all play a vital role, such as Design, SHE, Human Resources, etc.

The best thing about Construction is that no working day is the same, you could be in the office one day and on site the next. This allows you to meet so many different people whilst working, which can open the door to incredible opportunities.

Were you aware that a career in construction was an option?

Construction careers mostly portray working on site role. This was not an option for me. However, GMI Construction Group PLC ’s careers page clearly highlights the varied roles which I was not aware of before. This gave me a great insight into the world of construction and the roles and opportunities available to everyone.

I was not aware of the array of departments which all work together in keeping a construction company running, which was a great revelation for me.

Therefore, the positive portrayal of the varied range of roles in construction allowed me to broaden my apprenticeship decision.

Why do you enjoy working in construction?

There are many benefits of working in construction from career advancement to teamwork and meeting fresh faces every day from various projects.

Especially as an apprentice in construction, the opportunities are endless. Since working at GMI I have been selected to represent GMI/ Leeds City Council as an apprenticeship ambassador. This is a fantastic opportunity for me to meet more apprentices, learn new skills and develop my skills in the industry further.

Due to the industry’s fast-paced nature, it is vital that people communicate with each other to work effectively, and I enjoy speaking to people and expanding my knowledge further.

The gratification of working hard on a piece of content or on site on a job and seeing it develop in real time gives you the satisfaction that all the hard work does pay off.

Why is marketing so important in construction?

Marketing is important as in a way, its the voice of the business. Through social media channels to blogs and the company’s website, down to the brand of the business. These factors all play a significant role in the positive portrayal of an organisation.

Marketing in construction involves connecting with potential clients, creating brand awareness, and growing the business. However, it is not limited to only online; marketing is portrayed on construction sites from the site hoarding to the PPE people must wear.

All these factors are what help differentiate construction companies apart to make it easier for the client to have an insight into what we stand by as a business using colour, tone of voice and branding.

What aspects do you cover in your role?

The important thing about my role is that it is not limited; there are many aspects covered in a marketing role in construction.

These may include social media, newsletters, press release publication on our website, video shoots and editing, creating graphics, posters, site manuals, PowerPoint presentations, communication plans, campaign planning, logo creation, photo shoots and editing etc.

All these aspects are produced and worked on in the office and on site. As a marketer it is important to get out of the office to collect banks of content, so you never fall short. This then allows you to remotely work whilst seeing various people from various projects.

Thank you for taking the time to read, I hope I have provided some necessary insight for you to consider a career in construction. Please see below the link to GMI's careers page where it gives information on our current live vacancies.

https://gmi.co.uk/about/careers/