The 7th-13th February celebrates National Apprenticeship Week in the UK. At Remondis one of our core values is ‘Working For The Future’, and our participation in training up the next generation of skilled workers does just that, by giving young people experience in the workplace. We’re proud to have supported numerous apprentices throughout the years, giving them crucial on the job experience as well as useful qualifications to build a career.
This year’s theme of National Apprenticeship Week is ‘Build The Future’ and our position as a leader in waste management has allowed multiple young workers to start their careers in a supportive, constructive environment. In the spirit of celebrating their success we’re proud to share their stories about their progress so far.
Jess Flint
Age:16
Role: Customer Service Apprentice
Working within our internal sales department Jess joined us after finishing school, and is already progressing quickly both in her role and her qualifications. Currently working towards an NVQ Level 2 in Customer Service, since starting her role in July 2021 Jess has shown dedication in her studies, and is on track to finish both her current qualification and a future Level 3 course sooner than anticipated.
Her progress within her day-to-day role has also been exceptional, and in recognition Jess’ role has already been expanded to assist our Sales Director directly.
Jake Mitchell
Age: 16
Role: Customer Service Apprentice
We’re pleased to also have Jake within our team as a customer service representative for our Transport department. Since joining us in October 2021 he’s excelled with the admin side of his role within one of the busiest areas of the business.
Currently working towards an NVQ Level 2 in Customer Service, the longer term vision in Jake’s Remondis career is him becoming a Transport Planner.
James Flint
Age: 22
Role: HGV Mechanic
James originally joined the company in March 2016, firstly as a Heavy Motor Vehicle Service and Maintenance Apprentice. In that time he completed his Level 3 qualification at Northumberland College, and since has been a fully qualified member of the team at Remondis.
As a member of the team James’ flexibility and great attitude have made him vital to the Workshop. In addition to his apprenticeship course he’s also completed a number of additional training courses, including his HGV Class 1 driving licence.
How We Support Our Apprentices
For all apprentices within the North East we have utilised the Apprenticeship Levy funding, with additional training being provided at company cost. Working with Jess and Jake we are using Key Training as the apprenticeship provider, who also helped recruit both of them. Key Training assists further with support on their learning modules throughout the span of their courses.
All our apprentices are hired on permanent employment contracts, and we pay above the minimum wage for apprentices – with a structured plan in place at each stage of qualification to ensure their prospects continue to grow.
As with all our employees, each apprentice has regular development meetings with their line manager and benefits from a tailored learning action plan. For additional support we have set up a buddy system with Jess and Jake so they can support each other through their studies. For Jake this has been especially useful as Jess is currently six months farther ahead so this gives him a great opportunity to succeed in his own qualification.
We’re proud of the work ethic and passion shown by all our apprentices, as well as the staff members who continue to support them in their development. All our apprentices have succeeded on their own merit, which is especially true for Jess as her and James are siblings! However Jess wanted to obtain the role on her own merit without any favorability, so didn’t mention it until we had already decided she was a perfect fit for the role. Being a great asset to the company clearly runs in the family!
We love continuing to support young people in getting their careers started, and our commitment to the UK apprenticeship scheme will continue long into the future. We hope you will all join us in celebrating their achievements for National Apprenticeship Week!
