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PICTURED: Tony Snow

TONY SNOW, owner of media company Snowmedia and a former communications manager for the FA, has set up an initiative called The Apprentice Project inspired by his own experience in the media industry and his passion for helping young people achieve their potential.

Snow, says the idea was born out of a desire to “marry up the two things that I did in terms of lecturing and helping the next generation of communications professionals”.

During his time as a recruitment manager, Snow noticed that budding media and communications professionals had academic understanding and qualifications but lacked practical know-how.

And for other young people who have not gone to university, apprenticeships can be vital for getting a foothold in the industry.

Ebony Gordon is one of the project’s current apprentices. She says the scheme opened up doors for her after she left school with few quali cations. Gordon has now secured a role as a trainee communications officer for Snowmedia.

She said: “I wanted to do journalism but was struggling to find an apprenticeship in journalism that I would be able to do due to the fact I only had GCSEs and one AS grade.

“Ever since starting The Apprentice Project I feel that I’ve grown in confidence a lot more with the help of Tony and Corinne [the project’s mentor leader].”

For organisations that don’t have communications teams, apprentices can be invaluable. Plus, Snow’s organisation can handle the recruitment, training and mentoring process of recruits.

“We’re based in Croydon, which is a very culturally mixed area, and what we’re encouraging companies to do is take on local apprentices, take on people that have got raw talent that we can hone,” says Snow.

Whether you’re an employer or a prospective apprentice, you can nd out more about the scheme at www.appr-entice.co.uk.

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