SPSenvirowall has revealed apprentices make up one-in-10 of its workforce. The national supplier of external wall insulation is demonstrating its commitment to up skilling the workforce ahead of the Green Deal programme.
Seventeen-year-old Ieuan Pope, from Tonypandy in South Wales, is among its team of hard-working trainees and after three months on the course is delighted he took the opportunity and is enjoying the challenges the role brings.
SPSenvirowall continues to invest not only in the future of its products but also in its workforce to ensure that they are able to continue to be relied upon to offer the best technical support and advice for customers, whether that is the contractor, utilities provider or end user.
Pope was a student at a military preparation college in Porth County and is planning to join the Territorial Army alongside his new role with SPSenvirowall. He said: “With the government’s commitment to being the greenest government ever, there are lots of opportunities for people in my position to enter the industry and learn on the job. I didn’t specifically set out for a career in EWI as I wasn’t aware of it – but now I can see that it is a growing market with lots of training paths carved out.”
Reporting to branch manager Anthony Perkins, Pope’s day-to-day duties include dealing with customers, arranging deliveries and orders, stock control and ensuring the warehouse is organised and safe from waste.
Mitch Gee, managing director at SPSenvirowall believes people are at the heart of the business: “We are established in the market place, and a key reason why our customers return to us is because of our highly skilled technically minded workforce. It is at the core of everything we do, high levels of customer service help set us apart from our competitors.
“The whole team enjoys getting involved in the development of apprenticeships, it is important that Ieuan and others in his position get the opportunity to understand every element of the business.”
The government announced the Green Deal is about preparing UK homes for the future, and as part of this commitment there is a distinct need to provide young people with the skills to be able to take advantage of the careers paths that schemes such as this provide.
Pope said: “I’ve honed and built on my key skills, through dealing with customers and suppliers my communication and numeracy skills have been massively improved. The structured approach of the apprenticeship means that the review period allows me to update what I’ve learnt and set out objectives of where I want to be. I would really like to progress within the business, particularly in sales and marketing – I really enjoy meeting customers and helping deliver a solution to fit their needs.”