Derby-based creative design agency DE22 Creative Design Solutions has expanded its team and joined forces with leading training provider 3aaa to recruit two young people as apprentices.
The full service design agency won the backing of Derby Enterprise Growth Fund earlier this year with a £28,000 grant to support its move to larger premises in Chestnut House, Friar Gate. This has paved the way for the expansion of the team to support the company’s growing client portfolio.
DE22 Creative’s managing director Martin Griffiths approached 3aaa whose head office is in Sitwell Street and who were recently lauded as the first training provider in England to be judged by Ofsted as ‘outstanding’ in all areas of their work on a first inspection.
IT apprentice Ryan Hewitt (19) from Heanor has joined DE22 Creative alongside social media apprentice Hannah Johnson (17) from Long Eaton.
Martin Griffiths explained: “Ryan and Hannah have had an immensely positive impact on the business. Both of them have a great work ethic and positive approach and have brought skills in IT and social media that have added invaluable input to the service that we provide to our clients.
“This is therefore not only a fantastic opportunity for these two young people to get onto the career ladder but the apprenticeship scheme is also of huge benefit to our business.
“I was keen to grow the business with our sights firmly set on the future and the emerging skills that new technologies are opening up to us in this industry.
“The support that 3aaa give to both us as employers and to Ryan and Hannah is first class and their ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating is extremely well deserved.”
3aaa Director Di McEvoy-Robinson continued: “Our apprenticeship programmes are successful because we work closely with the businesses to understand their needs and with the young people to identify their strengths before bringing them both together.
“The vast majority of the 3,000 employers that we work with locally and across the UK are small and micro businesses and we recognise that apprentices are pivotal to their success and growth.
“Ryan and Hannah are wonderful ambassadors both for DE22 Creative and 3aaa and prove that apprenticeships are good for business and young people alike.”
Ryan trained in graphic design after leaving Aldercar Community Language College and initially applied to DE22 Creative for work experience.
He said: “I was delighted to be taken on as an apprentice which is enabling me to become multi-skilled and combine my graphic design skills with IT training.
“The apprenticeship has given me the structure to be able to earn and learn with support from my 3aaa assessors and the team here at DE22 Creative. It is essentially the best of both worlds.”
Former Long Eaton school pupil Hannah added: “An apprenticeship enables you to be far more hands on and gain more commercial acumen which is really important.
“Handling the social media for clients as part of the overall marketing strategy is really interesting and it is great to be working on live projects rather than sitting in a classroom just learning the theory.”
