A second apprentice has joined web development, creative and digital marketing agency Purpose Media, with a further two new apprenticeship places at the South Normanton-based business still on offer.

Ruby Birks, who lives in Chesterfield, is a former pupil of Tibshelf Community School. She has 11 GCSEs and has previously been doing volunteer work for Derby City Council and Visit Derby, where she was involved in key events such as The Toyota Twinning stand at Chatsworth Country Fair and the launch of the Derby Walk of Fame.

Since it was founded in 2008, Purpose Media has been providing long-term career opportunities in website development, creative design, digital marketing and business administration by offering apprenticeships for talented young people, with many progressing into senior roles within the business.

The apprenticeship that Ruby will be studying is a ‘Level 3 Digital Support Technician’ and was arranged through Derby-based apprenticeship providers, EMA Training Limited.

“When I was researching jobs websites I noticed that a lot of employers seemed to value experience over qualifications,” she said.

“Based on this, and how the pandemic has affected employment, especially for people my age, I decided that completing an apprenticeship would be the best way to gain this experience, earn some money and avoid getting into debt with a student loan.

“When looking for apprenticeships I came across Purpose Media and was drawn to the relaxed and friendly culture. I was also impressed by their client list and during the interview process I also thought the company training programme was very supportive.”

Purpose Media managing director Matt Wheatcroft added: “Whilst the Government is currently offering incentives to encourage businesses to provide opportunities to young people, we were one of the early pioneers and truly value the contribution apprentices can bring to a company.

“The demand for our digital marketing services has risen exponentially and so has the requirement for good people. By nurturing and investing in talented individuals like Ruby and fully supporting them with the right training and mentoring programmes, we are able to offer rewarding and exciting careers and develop an experienced team of experts who are committed to helping clients get a return on investment from their marketing programmes.”