Growth opportunities with Apprenticeship Programme

She works as Paid Media Associate in UK Mobility.

Her role involves supporting multi-channel campaign delivery across EV, fuels, convenience retail and loyalty. It involves coordinating paid, digital, social, audio, video and influencer activity, working with agencies and internal stakeholders to deliver customer-focused campaigns that improve engagement, brand performance and commercial outcomes.

My mentor and wider team have supported me by giving me responsibility within a commercial marketing environment, allowing me to apply my degree learning directly to real Shell projects. Through exposure to paid media, agency management, campaign reporting, stakeholder engagement and innovation projects, they have helped me build both technical marketing skills and broader business confidence. I have also benefited from regular guidance, feedback and opportunities to take ownership of projects, present ideas, support other apprentices and develop as a professional while completing my apprenticeship alongside full-time work.

Have you had opportunities to take on new challenges or responsibilities?

My apprenticeship has given me the opportunity to take on real responsibility from an early stage. I have supported multi-channel marketing campaigns across paid media, digital, social, audio, video and influencer activity, while also coordinating projects with agencies, internal stakeholders and external partners. More recently, I have taken on new challenges in areas such as AI-driven marketing optimisation, SEO and project management, which has helped me grow my confidence, develop commercial judgement and apply my degree learning directly within a fast-paced business environment.

What skills have you developed that you’re most proud of?

I have developed confidence and commercial skills by taking on real responsibility in a corporate marketing environment. My apprenticeship has helped me strengthen my project management, stakeholder communication and agency management skills through delivering paid media, influencer and digital marketing activity across Shell’s Mobility business. I have also developed more analytical and future-focused skills, particularly using campaign data, customer insight, SEO and AI-driven optimisation to support better marketing decisions and improve campaign effectiveness.

The most memorable experience I’ve had as an apprentice at Shell has been being trusted to take on real responsibility across projects that have had a visible business impact. One standout example was coordinating a national EV photography project across around 100 Shell locations, working with retailers, photographers and internal stakeholders to improve the customer experience and digital visibility of our charging sites. Seeing a project, I helped manage translate into measurable commercial results was a real confidence-building moment and showed me the value apprentices can add when they are given ownership and support.

It sounds like the Apprenticeship Programme is helping you grow personally and professionally. Can you share more on that?

The Apprenticeship Programme has helped me grow both professionally and personally by giving me the opportunity to study for my degree while applying that learning directly in a real business environment. Professionally, I’ve developed a much stronger understanding of marketing, project management, stakeholder engagement and commercial decision-making through my role at Shell, where I’ve been trusted to support major campaigns and take ownership of new responsibilities. Personally, it has helped me build confidence, independence and resilience, particularly through balancing university study with full-time work, presenting to others, mentoring new apprentices and representing apprenticeship pathways to aspiring students.

What has been the most valuable lesson you've learned so far?

The most valuable lesson I’ve learned is that confidence comes from taking ownership before you feel completely ready. My apprenticeship has pushed me to apply academic learning in a real commercial environment, work with senior stakeholders and agencies, and contribute to projects that have genuine business impact. It has taught me that growth often comes from being trusted with responsibility, asking the right questions and using feedback to keep improving.

Any final words of advice to students and school leavers considering an apprenticeship path?

My advice would be to be open-minded about what an apprenticeship can offer. It is not a “backup option” - it can be a really valuable route into a professional career, giving you the chance to gain a degree, build workplace experience and develop confidence at the same time. If you are curious, proactive and willing to learn, an apprenticeship can give you responsibility much earlier than you might expect and help you discover what you are capable of in a real business environment.