Member Article

Yorkshire firm backs apprenticeship schemes

The boss of a Yorkshire marquee company has urged more businesses to employ young apprentices following an increase in the sign-up of apprenticeships reaching an all time high of 450,000 in 2014. New government figures show that apprenticeships contributed around £3.7bn to the Yorkshire economy in 2014, while the drastic increase in the number of apprenticeship starts has helped to bring down the youth unemployment rate.

Jason Mace, managing director of Rotherham-based Gala Tent, said some companies preferred to go with hiring experienced staff, but that young people offered a fresh perspective that gave businesses a chance to grow. Mr Mace, who started the business in 1999, has taken on multiple apprentices over the years, and the new apprentices in the Sales and IT team have already made an impact by bringing their own style and ideas to the company. Meanwhile, apprentice Joel Price was shortlisted for the Apprentice of the Year Award at the 2014 Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber Business Awards last November.

Mr Mace, who wants to increase business growth from 12% in 2014 to 30% in the next year, said: “Taking on an apprentice gives me an opportunity to mould someone and give them the specific skills that are going to benefit my business.

“In the digital sector, technology is changing all the time so it’s best to be learning within a business that’s at the forefront of these changes. We have a duty to develop young talent at a time when youth unemployment is far too high.”

Mr Mace hired Joel after receiving free help and support from LifeSkills based in Rotherham, which offers entrepreneurs in the area the option to employ young, enthusiastic candidates while they receive training in NVQ’s over a 12 month period.

Mr Mace added: “It has been quite rewarding seeing them develop. This is a business-to-business and business to customer environment. The people they have to talk to are very serious. For an inexperienced school leaver to work in this kind of environment can be intimidating, but they have really risen to the challenge.”

In the past 12 months, Gala Tent has recruited 10 new members of staff and the company has plans to take on more apprentices in the future as it continues to grow its workforce.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Michaela Stafford .