BWF Member Input Joinery tell us why it’s important for businesses to offer apprenticeships

What role do apprentices hold in the business?

Our apprentices are all very much a part of the day-to-day running of our business and are seen as an important part of the process along with the colleagues that they work with. They rotate around each section of our workshop on a quarterly basis to enable them to gain an understanding of the manufacturing process, and evidence to support their college portfolio.

What career pathways have previous apprentices taken?

Two apprentices in particular have carved out great careers within the business.

Mark has just completed 20 years’ service with us having started as an Apprentice in 2002. Mark is a key member of our team and holds a Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS) card. His knowledge and experience means he is able to manufacture and install our high-end products.

Olly joined us in 2015 as an apprentice bench joiner and after he successfully completed his NVQ. He was offered a full-time contract with us and now holds a skilled worker Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card. Olly is now one of our top joiners and our new apprentices shadow Ollie to learn from his experience.

Why do you believe it’s important for businesses to offer apprenticeships?

We have seen a considerable change to apprenticeships over the years and it is vitally important that employers work closely with training and education providers to deliver the highest quality of training to our young people. We aim to take on two apprentices each year and even with the most recent challenges that we have all faced, we’re proud that we’ve still managed to do this.