Member Article

National Apprenticeship Week: what next for businesses?

With National Apprenticeship Week coming to an end for another year, Gavin Hepburn, managing director at world-leading vehicle barrier manufacturer ATG Access, explores what businesses should do now:

“As National Apprenticeship Week draws to a close, now is a great time for businesses to reflect on their own in-house educational schemes and ensure they’re up to scratch.

“Is what you’re offering in line with current government standards? Are the individuals undertaking the scheme getting exactly what they need out of it? Is it benefitting the business? Are you marketing it well?

“You see so many businesses offering up apprenticeship schemes as a box-ticking exercise, or to fill a bit of a resource gap, without really thinking it through. They treat it a bit like a revolving door with an ‘onto-the-next’ conveyor belt mentality. These are the people that should be re-evaluating their schemes today.

“Yes, your apprentice is with you to achieve a qualification, but have you considered that they could also be your future business leaders? Have you considered that the youngster that you’re currently showing the ropes to, could actually be your next CEO?

“At ATG Access we have a number of senior figures that originally joined the business as apprentices. Dale Mitchell started out with us 11 years ago, undertaking our Multi-Skilled Engineering apprenticeship, and now manages a team of six as one of our principal systems engineers. Never did Dale imagine when he first joined us as a school-leaver that within a decade, he could be heading up a team, travelling the world and forging himself a hugely successful career.

“Gary Romeling is another example. Gary also joined us 11 years ago as a young Electrical & Mechanical Engineering apprentice. He is now one of our highly skilled project managers, overseeing huge deployments around the world.

“In fact, over the last fortnight alone two of our apprentices have been overseas in Qatar and Europe, supporting our export projects which, for a 19-year-old, is quite a significant thing.

“We have four apprenticeship schemes currently live, making up 5% of our workforce, with the disciplines varying from mechanical and electrical engineering to design and I.T.

“Although National Apprenticeship Week is now coming to an end for another year, businesses should make sure they are continuing to keep the apprenticeship buzz going. Similarly, any would-be apprentices should keep pushing forward with their applications because, yes, an apprenticeship can be a stepping stone to a specific qualification, but it can also be a giant leap into a career.”

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