When Gracie walked through the door at Citizens Advice Gateshead on her first day, she was fresh out of college, just 19 years old and stepping into her first professional role.
Nearly a year later, she's creating content, supporting organisation-wide projects, and confidently presenting her work to colleagues.
For her manager, the difference has been remarkable.
"Who's this tiny little wallflower?" laughs Head of Marketing and Communications, Kievah Wallace, remembering her first impressions.
"Her confidence has grown so much. She's funny, engaging, she gets involved and she's become a fully integrated part of the team."
For Gracie, that growth is something she's noticed too.
"I'm probably most proud of how much my confidence has grown," she says. "I've noticed the difference even outside of work."
Taking the first step
After completing a T Level in Digital Production, Design and Development, university wasn't the obvious next step for Gracie.
"I wanted to get onto the career ladder and gain experience," the apprentice says. "An apprenticeship seemed like the best way to do that."
"I wanted to work somewhere that helps people, too, so the charity sector seemed like a good fit."
More than social media
Like many people outside the profession, Gracie expected marketing to be heavily focused on content creation and social media.
What she didn't expect was just how varied the role would be.
"One thing that surprised me was how much we work with other parts of the organisation," she says. "It's not siloed at all. We might be creating posters for one service, presentations for another, supporting events or internal communications. Every day is different."
That variety has helped her rapidly develop new skills, from graphic design and video editing to communication and stakeholder engagement.
It's also given her exposure to projects that many young professionals would not usually encounter, including a major group-wide rebrand.
"Because we work across so many different projects, she's had to learn how to adapt style, tone and messaging for different audiences," says Kievah. "That's a huge skill to develop this early in your career."
Confidence doesn't happen overnight
For many young people, stepping into a workplace can be daunting. New colleagues, expectations and responsibilities are a lot to get used to.
Gracie admits that was an adjustment, but she quickly learned to view those challenges differently:
"Whenever I'm outside my comfort zone, I try to see it as an opportunity for personal growth rather than something negative."
Kievah recalls one of the earliest examples:
"One of her first experiences with the wider team was an away day where she had to introduce herself to a room full of people she'd never met before. It could have been really intimidating."
Today, she says, the difference is obvious.
"Now she's happy talking about her work, contributing to discussions and putting herself forward for things. That's been brilliant to see."
Why apprenticeships work
While apprenticeships help young people launch their careers, employers benefit too.
For marketing teams in particular, bringing in younger voices can provide valuable new perspectives.
"Marketing and communications changes incredibly quickly," explains Kievah. "Having somebody who's grown up with social media, short-form video and digital content gives you a different viewpoint."
"Young people bring fresh ideas, fresh perspectives and different experiences. That's incredibly valuable."
Looking ahead
As she approaches the end of her first year, Gracie is confident of her next steps:
"This apprenticeship has definitely helped me realise that this is the route I want to go down."
And if she could offer advice to other young people weighing up their options after college?
"I'd definitely recommend an apprenticeship. It's a really good way to take that first step into work."
For Citizens Advice Gateshead, that first step has already paid dividends. As her manager puts it:
"She's an asset. Every time we review her progress, she knocks it out of the park."
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