Cosy has a history of successfully hiring apprentices, and employs apprentices at levels 3-7 in areas ranging from data science to digital marketing, ensuring staff can earn whilst they learn. We caught up with our current apprentices to find out more about their experiences.

An alternative to university study

“I did not enjoy school, and knew I would prefer learning on the job,” said Caleb Cooper, a Finance Assistant at Cosy, who at just 16 began his Level 3 Assistant Accountant Apprenticeship at EMA Training in July. “It has been a really good experience, Cosy have been great, and I have had a fantastic mentor too.”

Anna Bowley, Finance Assistant (and Caleb’s mentor), has just finished a Level 4 Professional Accounting Technician Apprenticeship having previously completed a Level 3 qualification with Cosy, who she joined in 2022. “I left school not knowing what to do, but I knew that doing an apprenticeship would save me £60,000-£70,000,” she explained. “It has been so rewarding to have on-the-job experience over a degree.”

Assistant Account Uwais Saeed, who is currently completing his CIMA's Level 7 Accountancy/Taxation Professional Apprenticeship, added. “My older sister went to university, and she would revise for hours on end, whereas I am getting hands-on experience which is what employers are looking for. I can show that I know the theory and am applying it now.”

The supportive learning environment

Cosy’s International Marketing Co-ordinator Vera Fedoruk, who began a Level 4 Marketing Executive apprenticeship at EMA Training in September, also spoke about her “university or apprenticeship” choice. “Experience is so valuable,” she said. “With an apprenticeship you get theory and practice. We learn ‘how to do it’, gathering lots of experiences on the way through lots of different projects, and learning from mistakes.”

Lucy Hilton is Cosy’s Digital Marketing Executive. She joined the team at the start of 2022, and having successfully completed a Level 4 CIM Marketing Executive qualification at EMA Training, has now begun a Level 6 BA (Hons) Digital Marketing Integrated Degree Apprenticeship through Nottingham Trent University.

“It has been a really good experience,” she revealed. “When I arrived at Cosy the marketing team here was really small, but the team and company has grown considerably. Now I manage

the e-marketing platform and am a mentor (to Adanna Anderson). We are a very close-knit group here, all local, and that has made a huge difference to the environment.”

Lucy continued: “My line manager Laura Milner started here at Cosy on a Level 2 Digital Marketing Apprenticeship and went on to complete her Level 3 Digital Marketing Executive. She is now Head of Marketing and manages 10 people within the team. This serves as a true testament for what you can achieve learning on the job and gaining hands-on experience.”

Anna, who is now travelling for the rest of 2024, with a view to then returning to Cosy, commented: “The people I have met at Cosy, even though we are doing completely different courses, has meant that I have built up a good friendship network. This, in turn, has supported my development. That supportive ethos has been extended further with Cosy allowing me time to go travelling which I really appreciate.”

Making a difference to the organisation

Finn Riggott, a Data Scientist who will complete his Level 6 Data Science Degree Apprenticeship at the University of Nottingham next year, said: “My business analyst role involves a lot of customer insight gathering and reporting to our sales and marketing teams. On the apprenticeship itself, we have a small class size of 10, so we get that support as well as on-the-job support here. I am both enhancing my expertise whilst leveraging data analytics to drive business decisions and strategies.”

Marketing Assistant Adanna Anderson is studying a Level 3 Multi-Channel Marketer apprenticeship at EMA Training. “Having joined Cosy in March, I have had the opportunity to get a good feel for social media marketing,” she explained. “In particular, our social media numbers are really strong across Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, and we can point to large or increasing numbers of followers, members and views on those channels. I am looking at Threads and TikTok. The pathway has been really good.”

Vera concluded: “I am so excited to dive into this industry and put in the effort to go further. I could feel the energy and passion here on my first day. I am looking forward to growing, learning, and contributing to reach new heights together with this amazing Cosy team.”

In September, Finn and Lucy were shortlisted for the Young Employee/Apprentice of the Year Award in the 2024 East Staffordshire and South Derbyshire Business Awards. Laura Milner was also nominated the Rising Star Award category