YouTube Interview: From Apprentice to Chanel Exec

Fashion-Enter CEO Jenny Holloway caught up with former Fashion-Enter apprentice Alicia Noble to discuss how her apprenticeship gave her the initial core skills she needed at the start of her career…

Growing up in Derbyshire, Alicia headed for the bright lights of London and enrolled on Fashion-Enter’s Level 3 Garment Technologist apprenticeship with Hobbs. This experience driven post meant that she spent 4-days at Hobbs head office and 1-day learning the theory at Fashion-Enter HQ in Haringey. Alicia liked that the theory could instantly be applied to the practical and was inspired by the larger scale production at Fashion-Enter’s neighbouring factory. “I grew so quickly,” she said.

Alicia threw herself into the role and it paid off when at the end of the apprenticeship she was offered a junior position with Hobbs. Now, five years on she has worked her way up as a Senior Executive in Travel Retail at Chanel. While this job focuses on beauty and fragrance Alicia say’s that it was her apprenticeship that gave her “those core skills” and that she wouldn’t be where she is today if she had opted to go to University.

Tap here to watch the full 5-minute interview on YouTube.