This week is National Apprenticeship Week, a celebration of all the great things that can come from being an apprentice. Apprenticeships are an increasingly important part of our people strategy, so to help us understand more about what they offer and to who, we sat down with our HR Director for Europe, Sarnjit Kaur to find out more.
The word ‘apprentice’ either conjures up an image of Alan Sugar and his sharp-suited candidates, or a young person at the very start of their working life. But there’s far more to it than that isn’t there?
Yes, absolutely there is! It is a common misconception that apprenticeships are only for young people and are simply an alternative to further education, be that college or university. They can be that, and that type of apprenticeship is very valuable, but also apprenticeships are an incredibly beneficial opportunity for people at all career levels. I think it’s important we help spread that message and help people recognise they opportunity they can provide at many stages of their working lives.
How would you describe an apprentice?
An apprenticeship blends academic learning and work experience to gain knowledge, skills and a nationally recognisable qualification. An apprentice can be somebody starting out their working life or can be someone already in work who is taking the opportunity to further develop their expertise and capabilities. And of course, an apprentice is an employee, so they’re also earning a wage or salary while learning.
What does it take to be an apprentice?
I think the most important attribute for any apprentice, whatever their career stage or area of interest, is their willingness to work hard and learn. An apprenticeship isn’t easy, it requires balancing the demands of a job with the demands of academic learning and everything else going on in your life throughout the duration of the apprenticeship! So, you need time, a growth mindset and the will to invest in yourself to learn and grow. But, as all our current and past apprentices will tell you, that investment is very rewarding!
Is time allowed at work for apprentices to study?
Yes! Alongside any on-the-job training, apprentices spend at least 20% of their working hours completing classroom-based learning with a college, university or training provider. It’s fair to say that for those further up the career ladder and in established roles already, taking on an apprenticeship will inevitably require a degree flexibility, but I think the important thing to remember is an apprenticeship is a two way ‘contract’ between the apprentice and the employer, so creating the space to learn is a commitment we make.
Tell me about the different types of apprenticeship Cox Automotive can offer?
In the UK, we offer a very wide range of apprenticeship opportunities now. Our programme – which is called Cox Automotive Learn and Inspire, or Cali for short – has 43 different opportunities! They range from level 2 (equivalent to GCSE) to level 7 (equivalent to a Masters degree) and cover skills including automotive, management, digital and technology, sales, customer service, business administration, and many more.
Why do you think apprenticeships are a good thing?
We know our team members’ growth and personal development is important to them, they’ve told us this via the engagement surveys we run and in the conversations we regularly have. So apprenticeship schemes are another way for us to invest in our team members.
For the business, apprenticeships offer us a framework to invest in talent. They build skills, both now and for the future. That might be talent we already have in the business and where there’s an opportunity to help those individuals grow and advance their careers. Or it might be a new generation of talent we want to welcome into the business; we can offer them a structured start to their career, the opportunity to learn while they work and gain not only paid employment, but a recognisable qualification and practical work experience.
For the apprentice, they get a paid-for and supported learning experience that gives them tangible, transferable skills and a formal qualification at the end of the process. They can use their apprenticeship to upskill, change direction or perhaps gain a formal qualification in their specialist area. For many people, an apprenticeship is a more suitable and equally credible alternative to the traditional academic paths.
What successes have we seen from our investment in apprenticeships?
Some of our rising stars today started out on an apprenticeship. And we have a number of team members on their second apprenticeship, helping them advance their careers at Cox Automotive even further. Some apprentices have even switched career paths, thanks to the skills they gained!
Give us a snapshot of some of the apprentices we currently have in the business
OK, let me tell you about just a couple of examples.
In HR, we currently have three apprentices, all young people beginning their careers. They’re working towards gaining professional qualifications while being exposed to the real-world experience of working in a busy HR department of a very large European business. The process is helping them discover their own talents and areas of interest, while we win from having three enthusiastic, hungry and bright young people join our ranks, adding to our pipeline of future talent.
I also immediately think of one of our operational team members from our Manheim business. This gentleman started with us as a temporary yard worker. He’d no academic qualifications but was clearly keen to work hard and learn. We recognised his potential, moved him into a full-time role and he progressed to become a team leader. He then took on an apprenticeship to build on his skills and gain the qualifications he’d missed out on earlier in life. He’s since gone on to earn another promotion, to operations manager, and has a bright future.
And then I think of a member of our sales team, an account director, well established in his career and responsible for some of our biggest franchise dealer customers in the north. He has taken on a leadership apprenticeship, no mean feat when you consider his demanding role at work and as a husband and father. He’ll emerge from this process with a level 7 qualification, the equivalent to an MBA, preparing him for his next career step.
There are dozens more stories, but I think this gives a good flavour.
What opportunities do we currently have available?
Our current vacancies can be found on our careers website. It’s a fasting moving area, with new opportunities being added regularly. There are opportunities in technology, vehicle services, administration, and corporate services.
Existing team members interested in exploring options are encouraged to seek out our Cali programme on the intranet and to speak with their line managers.
What is National Apprenticeship Week?
National Apprenticeship Week is organised by the UK government and is designed to shine a spotlight on apprenticeships. Throughout the week, we’ll see businesses and apprentices across the country share their experiences about the impact that apprenticeships make to individuals, businesses and the wider economy.
The theme this year is 'build the future’, reflecting on how apprenticeships can help individuals to develop the skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career, and businesses to develop a talented workforce that is equipped with future-ready skills.
What are we doing to support and celebrate National Apprenticeship Week?
We’ve a bunch of activities planned this week, including workshops where team members can learn more about all the career development opportunities available to them. Current apprentices will be sharing their stories, plus we’ll be using our social media channels to raise awareness and encourage the next generation of talent to seek out opportunities to further their careers.
You can find out more on the apprenticeships page on our website.