From One Apprentice to Three: Growing Ocean City Media
When Milly first came to us as an apprentice, the day didn’t start well. She turned up at the wrong address - entirely our fault, because our Google listing was out of date. Many candidates would have been rattled. Milly wasn’t. She arrived cool as a cucumber, slightly amused by our disorganisation, and carried on as if nothing had happened. That calmness told us a lot about her.
We looked at a few minutes of her showreel and hired her on the spot. It was one of the best decisions we’ve made as a business.
Milly’s impact
From day one, Milly brought an incredible work ethic. She threw herself into projects, proved to be a talented photographer as well as videographer, and quickly grew into a fundamental part of Ocean City Media. She also gave us something we could never replicate ourselves: an instinctive sense of what younger audiences actually watch and care about. While our BBC background gives us editorial rigour, Milly keeps us in touch with the platforms and styles that matter now.
Milly Filming
What we learned as employers
Taking on an apprentice was reasonably straightforward. The college handled much of the admin and was flexible about day release. But employing someone for the first time taught us a huge amount. We had to get the fundamentals right: contracts, expectations, communication, support. Those lessons with one apprentice are the same foundations you need if you want to employ 10, 50 or even 100 people well.
Apprenticeships are a two-way street. The apprentice learns practical skills, but the business learns how to be an employer. We’ve become better mentors, better at giving feedback, and more intentional about creating a good environment to work in.
Taking the next leap
Now, four years later, we’re doing it again - but this time we’re not just hiring one apprentice, we’re hiring two. We only intended to take on one, but both candidates were too promising to pass up. So over the past few weeks we’ve been building new desks, buying extra screens, and rearranging the office to make space.
It’s exciting. It’s also a bit scary. Growing a team always is. But if Milly’s story has taught us anything, it’s that apprenticeships don’t just build careers, they help build businesses.
Looking ahead
We can’t wait to welcome our new apprentices and see how they shape Ocean City Media in the months to come. Just as Milly transformed our business, we know they’ll bring fresh perspectives, new energy, and skills we don’t yet know we need.
Thinking about hiring an apprentice yourself? Our advice is simple: do it. You’ll learn as much as they do. And you might just find your own Milly - someone who helps transform not just your output, but your whole business.