Rise to the Top
The aim of National Apprenticeship Week is to increase awareness and the take up of apprenticeships. Roman were keen to get involved in this awareness week as they have always found apprentices a great asset to their company and fully support young people going into apprenticeships.
As part of National Apprenticeship Week, Roman staff from different departments attended the “Finding Your Future” event at one of their local colleges (Bishop Auckland College), where they provided information about Roman, as they are offering four new apprenticeship opportunities this year. They also answered questions and gave advice about apprenticeships to the college students and school pupils that attended the event from local schools in the area.
A local radio station interviewed Roman’s Operations Director, John Wright about Roman’s apprentices; why Roman choose to employ apprentices and how they benefit the company.
Roman has created a video for National Apprenticeship Week, to give young people an insight into what they can expect from an apprenticeship. The video includes three of Roman’s newest apprentices, from three different areas of the business. These apprentices explain why they chose to do an apprenticeship, what their role involves and what they hope to achieve in the future. This is a useful reference tool for young people thinking about going into an apprenticeship as they can hear the advantages from personal experiences. This video will be used in local colleges and schools and will be on Roman’s website and YouTube channel – Roman want to make it available to as many young people as possible.
The three new apprentices that Roman took on last year are Ciaran Kelly, Jack Mitchell and Karl Teasdale. Ciaran does a level 2 Joinery Apprenticeship, Jack is working towards a level 2 Customer Service Apprenticeship and Karl is an Electrical Mechanical Apprentice. These apprentices are 17 years old and last year joined Roman to pursue their chosen careers.
John Wright, Roman’s Operations Director, commented: “We have had an ongoing student apprenticeship scheme running now for 20 years – so we are very clear about the advantages and benefits apprentices bring to the company. Apprentices are also a great foundation for someone to go on to a successful career in industry and we have many examples of this within Roman. Apprenticeships have a positive impact on individuals, businesses and the wider economy and Roman want to continue with their involvement in this, which is why we are planning to take on four new apprenticeships this year.”