What does the word ‘apprenticeship’ mean to you? A training opportunity? Real world education? Valuable mentorship?
Drawing on decades of real-world industry experience, Britannia Row Productions’ 2-year live audio training courses have been helping students find fulfilling careers since 2012, welcoming an abundance of students several times a year. Yet, misconceptions about who is suitable for an apprenticeship remain rife.
All Britannia Row Productions apprenticeships are paid, full-time roles, and equip people with the skills and knowledge to maintain, transport, set-up and operate complex audio systems for events requiring live sound.
Working across specialised departments including Technical, Speakers & Rigging, Data & Comms, RF & Mics, Cables & Mains, Prep & De-prep, and Workshop from a state-of-the-art warehouse stocked with the very latest audio equipment, it’s the best place to learn all elements of bespoke sound systems.
Training to the highest standard has always been non-negotiable, and with evolving technical roles within the industry, the need for formal training is crucial to career development at any stage, whether you’re a school leaver or years into touring.
Megan Joyce is a prime example of someone who has leaned into the apprenticeship route following an established career. She began the ‘Live Sound Technician Apprenticeship’ course in January 2025, over a decade into her live production journey.
She begins: “I was musical as a kid. I took piano lessons and really enjoyed that side of things, but my dad wanted me to become an engineer like him. One day he said ‘you could work at concerts, and it seems like sound engineering is a good mix of music and creativity, science and tech.’ I got a place at Queens University in Belfast to do a Music Technology degree, which I deferred for two years to go to a music college.
“I started singing at college and we had to look after our microphones and cables, and be able to set up for band practice and learn how to sound check from the stage etc. When I eventually left uni, I was doing work experience with a production company one day a week, and they eventually gave me a job. I worked there for six years until I felt as though I couldn’t get any further, but I was scared to go freelance.”
Megan did pluck up the courage to go freelance and worked on all manner of gigs, small festivals and corporate events. Then, in 2023 she moved to London. “I worked in theatre for three months, and the theatre took me to New York. I went back home to Belfast and then to Australia for six months in 2024 where I lived with my sister and did some work with a company in Melbourne.
“I moved back to the UK for this apprenticeship; I saw an advert pop up on Instagram and had a bit of an awareness of Britannia Row’s link to Clair Global. The global nature of the company came across in Australia because I wanted to work with JPJ Audio. Funnily enough, JPJ emailed me about freelancing three days after I got back to the UK!”
A move thousands of miles in another direction (twice!) may seem like a bold move, but Megan had decided a couple years ago that touring is where she wants to focus her skills. “I'd done some traveling for work, mostly through corporate and theatre but I really wanted to get into the music sector, and this seemed like the best fit,” she says.
“I didn’t come into the apprenticeship with any expectations. The first couple of months were a little more training focused, and I love training. In the beginning, it was things I sort of already knew, but reaffirming my foundation in live sound has made me much more confident. There’s also lots of things I haven’t done before, such as mains testing and working in the amp department. I'm really enjoying digging into some of the more technical aspects as everything is on a bigger scale than anything I've worked on before.”
At this point, Megan doesn’t have her heart set on any one role: “I just want be part of the live shows. Part of the attraction of doing this apprenticeship is that I wanted to learn from the people who are doing the biggest and best shows in the world. I’m happy to fit into whatever role is needed to make these shows happen, and I like having a broad range of skills.
“A thing that surprised me about the apprenticeship was how much we are relied on because we get the knowledge of all the departments. I'm choosing to invest in my skills, but the company is investing in me too and they're going to want to use that when it's complete, whatever form that takes,” she adds.
Megan does note that doing an apprenticeship took a bit of reframing in her mind: “I’m in my 30s, which is older than most apprentices, but I benefit a lot from the experience I already have. I’m a very different person now than I was when I started out and I think I needed that time to build up a little bit of confidence and resilience, to feel like I have the skills and knowledge and attitude to jump into this field.
“It can feel a bit strange to say you're starting an apprenticeship at this stage in life, but a monitor engineer I know who has worked with a huge band for decades, was assigned as a sound trainee on a TV show. I thought if he can have that kind of humility to say, ‘I don't know this industry, I'm going to start to learn’, then anyone can.
“It's not very often that you get the luxury of being able to spend so much time on training and building your knowledge base, you must make that effort to invest. No one's going to do it for you!”
The landscape of what touring looks like has changed dramatically over the last decade, and it’s been a personal win for Megan: “In the company I worked for after university, for the first couple of years I was the only female, until a good friend of mine joined. I loved working with her. I had so many little moments before that where I’d look up and realize I was the only female, which was intimidating when I was younger.
“Coming to Britannia Row, this is the most women I've worked with in a technical way and it's so nice. The industry has changed a lot in terms of that it's not all about strength but it's still physical and that’s another thing that I am enjoying - the physicality of it.”
She concludes: “Live music is putting more women front and centre, and just by making jobs more visible is so helpful. There are quite a few women who post about touring online and it’s nice to see what they're doing and what their paths look like. I want to see more women succeed.”
Whether you’re just starting out or are ready to elevate your existing skillset and step into the exciting world of live audio for global tours, as Megan testifies, reframing the way you think about an ‘apprenticeship’ could just lead to your dream career...
