Martha Henley

Apprenticeship: Events Assistant, Level 3

Employer: Severn Arts

Martha’s Story:

Martha started her apprenticeship early March 2020, where she spent around two weeks in the office getting to know her team members and surroundings before the first COVID-19 lockdown came into place.  Martha had to not only adapt to a new way of working but adapt and learn a new job role, which she approached with maturity and positivity.

Martha’s apprenticeship has been delivered through remote sessions and she has continued to produce work to a high standard and maintaining all targets that have been set for her.  Martha has received excellent support and training opportunities from her employer throughout the apprenticeship.

Talking about her apprenticeship, Martha commented:

“I joined Severn Arts in March 2020, I had only been with the company two weeks before lockdown started and working from home commenced. From online events to installing In Memoriam, an art installation for the community, Severn Arts have given me so many opportunities and learning experiences. I helped deliver our online conference, Tomorrow, Today where I had the privilege of being a speaker in one of the sessions.

Throughout lockdown, I completed the NCRQ Health and Safety training course, attended a series of networking meetings with industry professionals (including an Events Manager at Disney!), and attended various in-depth industry webinars all while planning for future events, including Light Night Worcester.

Heart of Worcestershire College have been a huge help to me across this apprenticeship, with lectures taking place on Microsoft Teams and also offering support and guidance. I have thoroughly enjoyed my apprenticeship here so far and can’t wait to embark on the rest of this journey.”

Speaking about Martha, Severn Arts’ Festival Producer, Rebecca Phillips said:

“Our Events Assistant, Martha, has been a fantastic addition to the team. She joined just before the first lockdown was introduced back in March, a time where the entire industry had to pause, react and adapt. With a proactive attitude, she has coped positively with the fast-paced change and learnt a breadth of new skills when it comes to delivering online events.

Throughout lockdown and around prepping for online events, we focused on developing her knowledge of the outdoor festivals sector through webinars, creative and research tasks and more. This has allowed her to discover areas she has since become interested in, such as access and sustainability, and her knowledge of both is now hugely beneficial for our events in the future.”