Apprentices ahead in their careers
A company’s national awardwinning apprentice scheme has reached new heights after seeing its first cohort progress to permanent employment a year ahead of schedule.
In the wake of being named Best Newcomer for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in the North East, Great Annual Savings Group (GAS) in Seaham has received a special mention at the National Apprenticeship Awards for the speed of progress it has made.
Now its first year apprentices have shown they are thriving in their own careers, exceeding expectations and taking their final assessments 12 months early.
This means they have completed their apprenticeship in two years, rather than three.
It is due to take on another 60 apprentices during the next year.
In total, seven apprentices have been confirmed into full-time roles in sales, administration, HR and finance with the firm.
They have completed Level 2 and are fast-tracking Level 3 NVQs and are imminently sitting industry exams with bodies including the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) and Chartered Institute of Personal Development (CIPD).
Judith Bennison, group HR director, said: “We are delighted with our apprentices.
“We’ve held them up as success stories within the business ever since they joined in September 2015 and they’ve gone on to exceed our expectations.
“With their prominent roles in their teams, we were certain they were ready for full-time employment and to move on to the next step in their career.
“They have all taken part in showcasing our apprenticeship scheme to the out- side world by participating in jobs fairs and open days to tell other young people about the company and their personal journey.
“We’re incredibly proud of our scheme and are looking forward to taking even more apprentices on during September and early October this year.”
The firm says that now that the first cohort of apprentices have been confirmed into roles, the second group are on track to do the same in 2018.
Their apprenticeships have been shortened from three years to two years following the success of the initial intake.
The group recently launched the GAS Group Academy, dedicated to training sales apprentices.
The company helps others make cost savings in areas including energy, water costs, IT and waste management.