Dayna Spear left school in 2023 with three solid A-Levels but no clear next step. University wasn't appealing — she wanted to work, earn, learn, and not pile up debt. She started the AI & Digital Marketing Level 3 apprenticeship at CPD in September 2023, placed with Brighton Dome.
The route in
Dayna applied to CPD before she had an employer. The marketing-aware places in her sixth form had been talking about apprenticeships as a credible alternative to uni and she'd done some research. Most of the providers she'd looked at were online-only or required Maths/Computer Science as prior subjects she hadn't studied.
CPD's classroom-based model and emphasis on practical work appealed. The Wednesday off-the-job day plus four days of real work at a real employer felt like the structure her age group thrives on, not isolated home-learning.
Matched with Brighton Dome
Brighton Dome had been a CPD partner for years and was looking for a junior marketer to support their season-long programming. They wanted someone local, someone with energy, someone who'd grow into a permanent role. Dayna interviewed with three candidates and Brighton Dome chose her.
Her first six months were heavily mentored — email campaigns, social posts under supervision, basic analytics. By month nine she was running her own campaigns. By month twelve she was the lead marketer on a children's theatre programme.
Now
Dayna passed her EPA with Distinction in December 2024. Brighton Dome offered her a permanent Digital Coordinator role at £24,000 starting January 2025. She's still there, now leading on two strands of programming and contributing to the wider marketing strategy.
She mentors the current CPD apprentice cohort fortnightly. Brighton Dome have just signed off on hiring their next CPD apprentice for September 2026.
I was 18, no degree, and earning more than friends a year into university. I owe a lot of that to CPD and to Brighton Dome backing me.