Niamh Cooney

We spoke to former apprentice Niamh Cooney to hear about her career journey to becoming Digital Marketing Assistant at Tees Valley Combined Authority.

What’s your name, where are you from, and where do you work?

I’m Niamh Cooney, I’m from Ingleby Barwick and I work as a Digital Marketing Assistant at Tees Valley Combined Authority.

What does your day-to-day role involve?

My job is very interesting and varied. From writing social media posts to updating websites, filming and editing video content and working with the rest of the team on exciting campaigns and projects.

Tell us about your apprenticeship

I started at Tees Valley Combined Authority in the Administration team, doing a Level 2 Business Administration apprenticeship. When I progressed to my Level 3, I moved over to the Communications and Marketing team and completed this in April 2021. Moving into this team helped me to understand more about different areas of the business, as we’re responsible for marketing the whole organisation, so it really helped me in my apprenticeship.

Why did you decide to do an apprenticeship?

Going to college and university just didn’t appeal to me. Coming out of school felt like it could be a fresh start and I thought that going straight into a job could give me more independence and skills for the future, which it definitely did.

How did this lead you to your current role, or shape your journey?

Once I finished my Level 3, I was promoted to a Digital Marketing Assistant and I’m now doing a Level 4 course with the Chartered Institute of Marketing. This is helping me become more confident and have a broader understanding of my role, which I hope will open up my options for future progression too.

What would you say to someone thinking about starting an apprenticeship?

I would always recommend an apprenticeship to someone, even if they are unsure of what they’d like to be doing in the future. An apprenticeship is always a really good start, no matter which one you decide to do.

Is there one myth you’d like to bust about apprenticeships?

When I was leaving school and anyone suggested doing an apprenticeship to me, I always assumed that you could only get them in things like construction and engineering You’d be really surprised to find how many different apprenticeships there are available in so many different sectors.

Feeling inspired by Niamh’s story? Click here to find out more about apprenticeships.