Disraeli once said “The Youth of a Nation are the trustees of posterity” ,”You can get your money and you put it in the bank, or you can put it in the youth. You can put it into our future” Will i Am.
From the 1800’s Victorian society to the modern world of the celebrity, the importance of investing in young people has and will be ingrained in the fabric our society and politics. It’s true then that this principle can be applied to business as the young are indeed our business of tomorrow but they can also help your business in the here and now.
As the nation steps forward finally into economic growth, after battening down the hatches businesses will be ready to grasp new opportunities available to them with both hands but many don’t have the time or the resource to do so. In the last two years of talking to our members I have been repeatedly told that the biggest challenge to our small businesses is that they are time poor and can’t afford to recruit just yet. The solution that continues to help give a huge boost to a small business is to take the leap of faith that is investing in our young people as young apprentices. Over the last 12 months Norfolk Chamber has helped dozens of our members large and small to take their first steps in taking on their first ever apprentice and start reaping the rewards. The key has been that having a young apprentice supporting your business has given the mangers and owners of businesses an economically viable way to spend more time to concentrate on growing their business rather than in the office or out on the site with the smaller yet vital tasks.
Robert Ashton, the Barefoot Entrepreneur said: “As I get busier, I find myself with less time to do the smaller tasks within my business, such as research or social media marketing – the tasks that ultimately help keep my business running. With Apprenticeships, I found a way that I could take on an extra pair of hands and through them met my apprentice, Chris Reeve. Now I can focus on what I do best and Chris has taken over the bits I don’t have time for while he works towards gaining a qualification and actually works on projects that fit his skills set, not folding and sending letters all day!” To the surprise of many a business leader, investing in a young person had rewarded them tenfold as what they may lack in general work experience they more than make up in enthusiasm, boundless spirit and ‘out of the box’ thinking.
Graham Footer CEO of Disabled Motoring UK comments on the impact of young minds in his business. “I am delighted that Disabled Motoring UK has once again had the opportunity to offer two young people the chance to join the organisation on an apprenticeship scheme. We know from previous experience that apprentices benefit the organisation in so many ways. Their enthusiasm, hunger to learn new skills and desire to prove themselves all add an extra dimension and gives the rest of the team here a real boost. On a personal note, I get a huge amount of satisfaction that we have given a young person an opportunity to begin their work career, gain valuable experience and develop their skills.
The Norfolk Chamber has made a commitment to support businesses by setting up the Apprenticeship Broker Service which is designed to help them consider all the implications of taking on a young apprentices, support them with finding the right qualification andOne of the first businesses we helped was Lamberts in Norwich who ever since have not looked back.
Trina Beare Director of Lamberts comments on the support received by the Chamber. “I have Chris to thank for introducing Lamberts to Apprentices. During one of his visits 12 months ago, the topic arose. Having little knowledge of the training schemes available to young people, i was very interested to find out what it involved and how it worked. Chris spoke at great length of the advantages and benefits of employing a younger member of staff on such an Apprenticeship programme. In March, Jordan joined us as an Apprentice Warehouse Assistant. I have to say, it’s been a very positive experience for all of us. Jordan’s enthusiasm and commitment to the company has been unfailing from the start, and he’s become an extremely valuable member of our team here at Lamberts. We are extremely proud of him for what he has achieved so far, and look forward to being an integral part of his future career”.
Jane Mccall from High Way to training has been actively engaged with training of Norfolk young people throughout her career and after using the Chamber Broker service, went the extra mile in taking on young apprentices and has a total of 8 apprentices working at bother of her new sites.
Jane comments. “We have watched our apprentices grow in confidence and ability during their first few months, developing their skills and identifying a career progression. From their perspective, they are learning and earning; as they grow and develop in our business, we see the growth from their commitment within our operations and the excellent repeat customer service their involvement is bringing. We have eight apprentices currently across hospitality, business administration, retail and warehouse working in our cafe’ at Saints, 23 St John Maddermarket and Ecogreen Store Unit 19a St Mary’s Works Duke Street. Our apprentices now effectively assist in daily operations and are actively promoting our products and services within the local community; they have quickly become assets to our businesses.”
These are just a few of the recent success stories of young people being brought into a business and really having a measurable impact in helping the business grow.
At the Chamber we started our apprenticeship journey over 18 months ago with Katie joining us here in the membership team. Since then she has gone from strength to strength and now is a key member of the events team taking lead on her very own events. Due to the success of Katie, we now have two other apprentices here who have become vital members of the team and with them we have been able to grow.
If you want to look into how you too can benefit from taking on a young apprentice then let the Norfolk Chamber Apprenticeship Brokerage Service help you by contacting Chris Perry on: 01603 625977 or e-mailing [email protected]
Chris Perry- Business Manager Norfolk Chamber
