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Inside the Press Office: A Government Communications apprentice shares their experience
Blog posted by: Rachael Daly, Government Communications apprentice, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 7 April 2026.
Rachael Daly, a Government Communications apprentice at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs shares her journey from travelling abroad to working in a fast-paced press office environment, and what it means to her to build a career in government communications.
I started as a Government Communications Apprentice in November 2025, and have been working in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). My role is in the Press Office team, specifically supporting the team working on the flooding and waste press releases.
From travelling abroad to working in a fast-paced press office environment
Having graduated a few years ago, I was looking to begin my career in communications after some time spent travelling and working abroad. I learnt about the Government Communications Advance Apprenticeship through a friend who is currently finishing the programme and recommended it as an opportunity to learn on the job.
After reading about the programme, I submitted my application and was invited to an interview. I had to create a presentation and I chose a topic around food and health campaigns, focusing on sustainability, which is an important aspect of Defra’s work. I was delighted to learn that I was successful at interview and receive an offer to join the programme!
What it is like inside the Press Office
Press Office roles are fast paced and my day-to-day rarely follows a set routine. I work with a broad range of people in a number of different roles. Liaising with journalists, attending media interviews, and writing press notices are all aspects of the job that I had no previous experience in. I am finding it a rewarding process, gaining confidence in completely new areas and developing my skills in media handling.
Working within Defra itself has been deeply interesting. I am engaging with environmental briefs every day and have seen how the government department responds to incidents. I have learnt to analyse and convey complex technical information into clear, accessible messaging, and have gained valuable insight into areas such as flood response, waste crime and air quality guidance.
The Advance Apprentice programme and looking ahead
Alongside my role, I am working towards gaining my level 4 Public Relations and Communications qualification. I attend apprenticeship seminars, roundtables and one-to-one meetings with my skills coach, and this prepares me for the end-point assessment near the end of the programme. I am also regularly tasked with mini-projects and assessments where I need to demonstrate communications skills and knowledge.
Networking with the apprentices on my cohort has given me an insight into the many different departments across government, and it has really helped me to understand the breadth of gov comms.
Looking ahead, I am grateful for the opportunity to develop my skills within government communications. I am in a fortunate position to be able to learn from those around me, both my colleagues in the Press Office and the other apprentices on the programme that I have met along the way.
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Original article link: https://www.communications.gov.uk/blog/inside-the-press-office-a-government-communications-apprentice-shares-their-experience/
