Commitment to apprentices ‘heart-warming’

Apprentice consultancy business ABLE TO: has praised the efforts of the automotive sector to support National Apprenticeship Week through a series of activities.

Owner Bob Linwood said: “It’s genuinely heart-warming to see so many great stories about young people doing well in our industry and this has been a continuing trend over the last few years as businesses in our sector have finally understood that employing young people needn’t all be about being late or not turning up for work, having a bad attitude, being work shy, being disruptive to normal work patterns…”

ABLE TO: currently works closely with numerous young people and apprentices and has seen first-hand how businesses are engaging apprentices.

Linwood said: “There are a growing number of businesses out there who have invested in their own teams and resource capabilities to ensure that the young people they employ are safe, motivated and encouraged to constantly excel. And for those businesses who don’t have the time or experience to do this themselves, they have companies like ABLE TO: who can help them recruit and then manage their apprenticeship learning journey on their behalf.”

ABLE TO: partners with repairers by taking on the responsibility of actually recruiting the young people by processing them through a rigorous pre-employment programme and creating perfect candidates for an apprenticeship role.

They then work closely with their repairer client to co-ordinate the apprentice’s learning schedule while also handling the required financial processes with the National Apprenticeship Service.

Linwood said: “Repairers need to continue investing in young people but at ABLE TO: we recognise that some of them are so far out of their comfort zones in trying to find the right people and then devoting time and effort to make it a success that they don’t ever get off the starting grid.

“This is where we can help repairers, using our knowledge and experience to introduce some great young people who are motivated and excited to start a career in the industry and then make sure all parties involved have a great experience and eventually go on to become loyal, qualified technicians.”