National Apprenticeship Week 2021: Building the Future for Business

This week is national apprenticeship week, a time to celebrate the amazing role that apprentices play in the workplace. Supporting young people to develop their careers in the world of communications, through our successful internship programme, is something that we have always been committed to. And indeed many in our team have risen up the ranks to forge successful careers within Cratus and the wider sector.

As young people bear the brunt of the current Covid-19 crisis, we think it’s right to continue playing an active part in affording the next generation of communication stars the opportunity to shine. Our interns bring enthusiasm, expertise, and a fresh pair of eyes that keeps us on our toes and helps bring a new perspective to projects. And in return, we support them to gain invaluable experience and exposure to working with some of the leading names in local government and the built environment.

For Cratus, internships are all about partnerships, it’s about giving back to the society that we’re all invested in. Regardless of size, if you’re fortunate to have a business that is still able to operate in these turbulent, transient times, take time to consider how you can help young people to kick-start their careers.

Maybe the Government’s kick-start scheme is right for you in a world that has, over the last twelve months, shrunk significantly in size for our young people. Or perhaps a traditional apprenticeship or internship programme is a better fit for your business. Whatever works for you, now’s the time to reach out that helping hand. Both society and your business will be better for it.

– By Nick Kilby, CEO

Working as a Planning Communications Intern at Cratus has opened my eyes not only to the world of property development and the intricate UK planning process, but also to the sphere of local government and the important role it plays in people’s everyday life.

Starting the Internship, I had a relatively vague understanding of the UK planning system but after writing a number of political & community audits and SCIs and working on consultation events for major regeneration projects, my knowledge has increased drastically. It has given me insight into the challenges faced not only by property developers navigating their way through the complexities of the planning system, but also into issues faced by local councils when, for example, adopting a Local Plan. The role has also made me aware of how imperative tailored and quality communications are to driving a development and gaining approval. Furthermore, it has developed my understanding of community engagement and the importance of creating strong connections between influential community groups, developers and local authorities.

Moreover, working at Cratus has enabled me to understand the language and dynamics of local government and the significance it has over local communities. Whether I’m watching Planning Committees from around the country, talking to my colleagues or drafting briefing notes for committee members, I now recognise the importance of decision making at a local level.

I can honestly say that I wake up every morning looking forward to what lies ahead – no two days are ever the same working at Cratus. Whether it’s examining resident objections or researching the political dynamics of an area, there is always something happening – welcome to the world of Cratus!

I am truly grateful for the opportunity and thankful to all my colleagues who have welcomed me into the Cratus family – I am extremely excited to see where it will take me.

By Louis Pender, Intern 

I believe there is a common misconception when it comes to internships. The idea that if you enter into an internship your value within the company is limited and all you’ll be used for is to make copies and coffees (not that this is even possible anymore in a Covid world). However, my internship experience couldn’t be any further away from this stereotype.

I joined Cratus’ internship programme in November 2020, having graduated in the summer into a job market that was less than appealing. Four years of hard work had boiled down to a Zoom graduation and limited prospect of employment. Graduate schemes were deferring or cancelling their programmes and suddenly the job market was saturated with young people hoping to get that first step onto the career ladder. That’s when I came across Cratus. Having studied politics at university, Cratus’ internship programme provided the perfect opportunity for me to apply the knowledge and transferable skills I had accumulated throughout my degree into practice.

Since being at Cratus, I haven’t felt like an ‘intern’, I feel like I am part of the team. I have been handed responsibilities across the company, providing social and digital marketing support over multiple platforms, including social media content creation, newsletter mail outs and email marketing. Furthermore, I have also coordinated a series of virtual events, helping behind the scenes on a high-profile online conference within my first week. This has all been achieved with constant mentoring and opportunities to develop my skills further through attending external online courses and webinars, all of which I am exceptionally grateful for.

I would encourage anyone who has either recently graduated or is in their final year of university to consider paid internships. They are a great way to gain valuable experience in a real work environment, develop and refine your skills and they provide the opportunity to explore a career path in a sector that might have been previously unknown.

By Verity Hunn, Intern