Getting Started with your Photographic Assistant Apprenticeship

Welcome to your Photographic Assistant Apprenticeship with The JGA Group. This page will help you get started with your apprenticeship.

On this page:

Apprenticeship Overview

The Photographic Assistant apprenticeship programme is an 18-month programme with 12 core modules. Seminars are held remotely via Teams or Zoom, supplemented with online learning tools and self-study materials. Progress is recorded via an online tool (OneFile).

It is a requirement of the government that over the course of the apprenticeship you spend at least 20% of your time completing activities which are not part of your day-to-day job role. This is called off-the-job training. If you do not have GCSE/O Level grades A-C/4-9 in English and maths, JGA will provide you with teaching to achieve an equivalent Functional Skills qualification.

The Photographic Assistant apprenticeship standard has two optional occupational /role areas. You will follow the the Assistant Photographer pathway.

Module Summary

  • Developing confidence with the basics of the camera
  • Photographic and lens theory
  • Your organisation’s processes and introduction to health & safetyin the photographic workplace

  • Understand common industry equipment and which equipment is used in your workplace
  • Using a camera flash, speedlite, strobes, modifiers and light meters
  • Principles of light

  • Application of lighting equipment
  • Lens design and common lens aberrations

  • Learn to manage a studio or location shoot – session plan, lighting plan, posing, health and safety and the basics of composition
  • Use of social media

Plan and direct a shoot, from client brief to image

  • Manage digital workflow from camera output through format choice, editing, retouching, saving and backup
  • Basic photoshop techniques
  • Imaging system troubleshooting

  • Using Lightroom and other Digital Asset Management systems
  • Use and manipulate video and audio files to tell a story

  • Computer security relating to viruses, cyber-security and password control
  • Storage techniques and processes
  • Using metadata and keywords

  • How to run a photography business
  • Customer engagement
  • Pricing and marketing
  •  

  • The legal and regulatory requirements a photographer needs to understand and manage

  • History of cameras and associated technology, development of digital
  • Overview of darkroom techniques
  • Sources of industry knowledge, including professional associations

  • How to use drones as part of your workflow
  • Licensing requirements for drones
  • Review progress and content of portfolio

Your Tutors & Coaches

Anthony Milner - Digital Marketing Tutor

Anthony Milner
Tutor & Coach

I will be your programme lead, supporting you throughout your apprenticeship journey.

John Warden
Skills Coach

Paula Wakelin

Paula Wakelin
Progress Adviser

Explaining the roles

There are three key roles in the team which will support your apprenticeship. Some members of staff cover more than one of these.

Your tutor will lead you through your workshops or seminars and deliver a large proportion of the knowledge elements of your apprenticeship with you.

Your coach will meet with you each month to help develop and evidence your skills and behaviours within the workplace. Your line manager will attend part of this session. They will help you gather evidence to demonstrate your overall competency.

Your learner progress adviser will help provide additional support where needed and monitor your progress. You will meet with them, and your line manager, every three months.

Your e-portfolio: OneFile

We use OneFile as our e-portfolio system. This is where your assignments will be set, you will submit your work and you will log your off-the-job training.

Your regular reviews will be stored on here as will some resources for your course. You will complete a learning journal, be able to monitor your progress towards your Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours and refer to your workplace development plan.

Our training video covers all the key features of OneFile you need to know. Visit the Support and FAQs page if you have questions or issues.

Mandatory safeguarding training

The JGA Group is strongly committed to practices that protect children, young people and adults from the risk of abuse, neglect or significant harm. Staff recognise and accept their responsibility to develop an awareness of the risks and issues involved with Safeguarding.

At the beginning of your apprenticeship, you will be asked to complete a JGA Safeguarding learning aim. This will introduce you to key topics within safeguarding, radicalisation and extremism, and british values. This shows as a separate learning aim on OneFile and an assessment plan will be assigned to you with full instructions.

Workplace Development Plan

A Workplace Development Plan will be developed with you, your Line Manager and your JGA skills coach.

This will include specific role related learning or activities to help you achieve the Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours (KSBs) required by the apprenticeship standard.

It will help you to evidence your progress and meet the off-the-job training requirement.

It is a key tool to individualise the apprenticeship to your needs and that of the business.

Programmed activities

Seminars

Regular small group tutor-led seminars, full day or two half days per module

Coaching

Regular coaching sessions with a sector expert; your work mentor/line manager will be invited to the first part

Reviews

Quarterly formal progress reviews in collaboration with your line manager and Learner Progress Adviser

Self-study

Pre and post seminar activities, self-directed learning and learning opportunities within your workplace

Assessment

Apprenticeship Assessment is the process at the end of your programme for you to demonstrate to a third-party assessor that you have acquired the knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) set out in the Apprenticeship standard.

Safeguarding, Prevent, welfare and british values

Paula Wakelin
Paula WakelinSafeguarding & Prevent Officer

There is nothing more important than keeping you safe. If you feel you need to raise a concern about any Safeguarding matter, contact your organisation’s Safeguarding Team, or the JGA Safeguarding team at safeguarding@jga-group.co.uk.

We are committed to working together to create a fantastic learning and work experience and to ensure the highest levels of safety and wellbeing. Expand the toggles to learn more about key support topics.

We are strongly committed to practices that protect you from the risk of abuse, neglect or significant harm. Our staff recognise and accept their responsibility to develop an awareness of the risks and issues involved in safeguarding. All staff and learners should have zero tolerance for abuse, bullying, neglect and violence.

Prevent is about safeguarding people and communities from the threat of terrorism. At the heart of Prevent is safeguarding children and adults and providing early intervention to protect and divert people away from being drawn into terrorist activity.

We provide expert support to help you on your apprenticeship journey. This includes mental health and neurodiversity, careers guidance and academic and financial challenges.

We want to help you achieve your full potential. We offer careers consultancy to ensure you have impartial and constructive information and guidance to help you decide and then to action your career decisions.

We aim to create an equal, diverse, inclusive and respectful culture. All of us contribute towards this culture through our actions and words. JGA aims to address any barriers to equality in our systems, policies and decision making as well as in our behaviour and ways of working.

The Fundamental British Values underpin what it is to be a citizen in a modern and diverse United Kingdom, valuing our community and celebrating diversity.