Think of the future now

09/02/2011

One firm which is reaping the benefits of employing an apprentice in the thick of the recession is MJ Electronics, a firm which designs printed circuit boards in East Goscote.

In the summer of 2010, managing director Mick Brittle took on apprentice Tom Telford through Leicester College’s Apprenticeship Training Agency (ATA).

The appointment has been so successful, he is now planning to employ a second apprentice this summer. By going through the ATA route, this means the apprentice is directly employed by the College, which gives a company the chance to try somebody out, with no risk.

This support removes the headaches caused for small businesses, that often have less time to concentrate on the recruitment and employment of taking on an apprentice.

By, in effect, acting as an HR company, the ATA matches a suitable apprentice to the organisation’s requirements.

The ATA conducts the recruitment process for compiling the job specification, advertising, short-listing, interviewing, agreeing a training and supervision plan and providing the apprentice with a contract of employment.

Leicester College then works closely with the organisation to provide support.

Mr Brittle said: “We are constantly thinking about the future and our need to expand, and apprentices are the best way of steadily growing the firm.

“Being such a small, specialised company we find there aren’t the people out there with the skills we need. So we find it preferable to take on an apprentice and train them up.

“While apprentices may be viewed by the outsider as a quick fix solution to finding staff for a job, that’s not actually true.

“We invest a lot of time in Tom and are now really starting to reap the rewards.

“He brings a fresh perspective and ideas to the company, is self-motivated and now he’s been with us for a few months he is quite capable of carrying out his role with minimal help.

“Tom’s really growing into the role and the company.”

But for those who still need convincing, Mr Brittle has this message.

“While we are completely happy with Tom, if we had taken on somebody and things didn’t work out, we would not have had any problems because we used the ATA.

“The apprentice’s terms and conditions are also the College’s responsibility, which makes life very simple.

“This is something that really appeals to me, as the owner of a small business.”