After leaving school and realising that university wasn’t the right path for her, Chloe-Leigh Preston was determined to secure an apprenticeship and learn whilst working on the job.

Chloe-Leigh originally set out to become a dental nurse before realising that her talents may be better suited towards a career in marketing.

“I soon realised after completing my A-Levels that university wasn’t the right path for me as I prefer to take a more hands on approach,” she said. “When I saw that Howard Civil Engineering had a vacancy for a Marketing Apprentice, I realised it might be something I would enjoy.

“I use social media quite frequently and I have an inquisitive mind, which is good place to start from when you’re wanting to get into marketing.”

So how has Chloe-Leigh found her experience as an apprentice at Howard Civil Engineering?

“I honestly think that working here has provided me with more opportunities than I would have received had I gone elsewhere,” she admitted. “The role has really allowed me to be hands on and get to grips with how everything works in the real marketing world.

“As an apprentice, I was under the impression that I wouldn’t really be given much responsibility to begin with, but from the beginning I was given set tasks and responsibilities that I had to take ownership of and this has massively increased my competency and my confidence,” she continued. “My line manager is always on hand to help whenever I need it and the rest of team really helped me settle in quickly.”

While she has certainly settled in well, the future looks even brighter for Chloe-Leigh.

“I am performing well in my college assessments, with my tutor even asking to use my work as examples for other students on the course,” she said. “I’m looking forward to completing my Level 3 qualification and hopefully progressing onto my Level 4.”

Keep up the good work, Chloe-Leigh!