Apprenticeships are seen by many as being key to economic growth and one company that provides an example of this is electrical contractor Clarkson Evans.
The Gloucester-based firm has so far recruited nearly 60 apprentices this year. The company has steadily expanded in the last two years and managing director Steve Evans believes training apprentices has been fundamental to this growth.
“The whole ethos of the company is about taking young people on, training them and developing them. By employing apprentices we can ensure there’s a continual supply of well trained staff who understand our customers’ needs and are genuinely committed to the company and keen to progress within it. Of our 93 team leaders, 64 are former apprentices”.
Every year Clarkson Evans typically employs at least 25 apprentices but 2011 has been a record year. Apprentice recruitment on such a scale would be ambitious for even the very largest of firms but bearing in mind that Clarkson Evans has a total workforce of around 350 staff, the extent of the investment is truly remarkable. The company has even established its own in-house centre for training apprentices – something virtually unheard of in the electrical industry.
When asked why he thinks some other employers are reluctant to offer apprenticeships, Steve Evans remembers one of his own reservations from the early days of starting up the business. “There’s always the risk that apprentices will choose to leave and work for the competition once they’ve qualified”, said Steve. “But in our experience staff are very loyal when you’ve invested in their training and can offer genuine opportunities to develop a long-term career. There’s no doubt that it’s a risk worth taking if you’re serious about expanding your business”.
From its eight regional branches Clarkson Evans now has electrical teams covering much of southern England, the Midlands and south Wales and there are plans to continue bucking the economic trend and expand further by establishing even more regional branches. Each of these will create more apprenticeships for young people and Steve Evans says this is one of the most rewarding parts of running the business. “We’re always inundated with high quality applications and meeting these young people looking for an opportunity spurs us on to grow the business and be able to give them a chance.”
Pictured: Steve Evans (managing director) and Lindsey Young (training director) with some Clarkson Evans apprentices