27 year old Zahra Williams has always wanted to work in the music industry. She did a 3 year degree in music industry management course, taking out a full loan. Despite this, she found getting a job tough. She did some volunteering at mystreetlife fm, a community radio station for Waltham Forest. They happened to be in the same building as Eastside Records who signed up to the Creative Apprenticeship prototype. Zahra got the job and was put into the music publishing department. She learnt key skills relevant to the job as well as how to invoice correctly and market herself in a competitive industry. Eastside were so impressed they extended her placement in October 2007 to run until February 2008.

I have learnt so much more from my apprenticeship at Eastside records than from my university degree in music business management.
Zahra Williams