The benefits of apprentices

With National Apprenticeship Week 2015 taking place between 9 and 13 March, Beverley-based marketing and technology company Redfish Group are highlighting the benefits of hiring an apprentice.

Redfish Group appointed their first apprentice around a year ago. The company recruited an apprentice because they wanted to support an area of the business that was growing and required a member of staff, but not necessarily a fully-qualified person. The company saw the apprenticeship route as a way of growing their business, whilst investing in a local young person at the same time.

Jackie Neeves Redpath of the Redfish Group, said: “I would highly recommend the apprenticeship route to other companies. Hiring an apprentice has been a very rewarding experience for us. Growing your company is not just about hiring fully-qualified people. Young people are our future and Redfish will benefit from providing them with valuable skills in the long term, if we support them in the early stages of their careers. Our apprentice Emily Rymchuck has performed really well. She has fully embraced our way of working and brought some fresh ideas of her own to the business.”

Emily has recently completed her level 3 business administration apprenticeship and has already moved up the career ladder to her new role as accounts clerk.

The council worked with Redfish Group to set up the apprenticeship. They carried out the advertising and short-listing of applicants on behalf of Redfish Group and administered the AGE (Apprenticeship Grant for Employers) 16-24 funding. They also worked with the company to provide an apprenticeship work trial prior to Emily’s appointment.

Jackie said: “The whole process of recruiting an apprentice was really straightforward and we get good ongoing support from the council and their training assessors, which is paramount to the success of the apprentice. Investing in an apprentice has been a very positive experience for our company and we do have intentions of recruiting another apprentice when the time is right.”

When Emily was at school it was always her ambition to go into marketing and events management for large scale conferences and events. She left school at 18 after taking A-levels and applied for interviews down the apprenticeship route.

Although Emily had been told about apprenticeships at school, the careers advice session was more geared towards going to university. Emily was shown the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) website but didn’t give it much thought until a friend suggested re-visiting it. It was on the NAS website that she found the apprenticeship vacancy at Redfish Group and she liked the look of the company so applied for the vacancy. Emily started her apprenticeship in July 2012, one week after leaving sixth form.

Emily said: “My advice to anyone who is thinking about taking on an apprenticeship is to go for it. Apprenticeships are definitely the way forward and I’ve learnt real work skills as well as getting a qualification and earning money. I’ve learnt a lot about Redfish’s business from my colleagues and I get the opportunity to meet a whole range of new people. I have grown in confidence and have secured a full time permanent job now that I have completed my apprenticeship.”

Councillor Jane Evison, cabinet portfolio holder for economy, investment inequalities, said: “The council is proud to support local businesses with their apprenticeship training programmes.

“Apprenticeships are a great way for people to earn-while-they-learn and develop the necessary skills to forge a career in their chosen field.

“An apprenticeship meant that Redfish Group benefited from having a keen member of staff with exactly the right training and qualifications to help move the business forward and continue to provide a high-quality service to the customer.

“The council has an excellent track record of placing apprentices where their skills can be properly developed, which is in the interest of the apprentice and employer."