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APPRENTICES
View from the top
Brother UK, which has been building
its apprentice programme for about
three years, really got behind the
tenth National Apprenticeship Week
which took place 6-10 March.
The company is a firm advocate of
apprenticeships as a route to recruit
new talent in a very structured way that
accommodates for the development that is
needed, through the academic elements of
their apprenticeship. Apprentices coming in
to the company are closely mentored and
provided with a level of support that means
they get a very in-depth understanding of
the business across a variety of areas, not
just in relation to the department where
they serve their apprenticeship.
Jones insists that apprentices help
give the diversity he believes is beneficial
to Brother UK’s operation, through the
introduction of younger people with fresh
ideas, lots of confidence and energy, and
the ability to adapt to the ever changing
workplace. “Three years ago we had no
apprentices, today we have five and will
shortly add a sixth. Three prior apprentices
have also secured full-time employment
with us. We’re big fans, we realise its really
positive for our organisation,” he said.
Lead from the top
Digital & Social Media Apprentice, Jessica
Wilbraham, was invited into the hot seat
to get first-hand experience of what it’s
like to lead from the top. Jones left her a
comprehensive list of tasks to complete,
including an interview with
PrintIT Reseller
,
as well as some pertinent words of wisdom.
In a letter Jones said: “You are going
to experience what it feels like to be
Managing Director of Brother UK UK. I’ve
left some work for you to do which is
typical of the type of things where I have
to spend my time. Analysis, big picture
thinking and people issues. You are in an
important seat.”
Jones cautioned that with the job
comes responsibility, citing the fact that
an MD is responsible for people’s jobs,
and part of the role is to ensure good
governance whilst keeping the company
speedy, nimble and competitive. He also
said that the job is often pressurised with
interruptions and unexpected deadlines
and counselled Jessica to keep her head
and prioritise work/actions as much as
possible, adding that delegation is key.
Trading places
Speaking to
PrintIT Reseller
before the job
swap, Jones explained that the objective
was to make the experience as real as
possible. “The tasks I set were typical
of ones that I regularly have to action
during the course of a day. These included
reviewing the European Stock Report
and commenting on any major issues,
examining the European Sales Results and
Three Brother UK directors, including MD Phil Jones, volunteered to
job swap with three of the company’s apprentices on Friday March 10,
a move designed to reinforce Brother UK’s belief that recruiting via
apprenticeships is beneficial for its business
preparing commentary for submission to
Brother Europe about the UK performance,
as well as doing an appraisal of January
management accounts and commenting on
any issues identified.”
In turn, Jones was charged with
reviewing the social media plan for the
following two weeks, and looking at Brother
UK’s Hootsuite, TweetDeck etc. accounts,
suggesting SEO-friendly product/page titles
for the website and creating a wireframe for
a new scanning solutions page using the
Brother UK Styleguide and existing pages
and wireframes for inspiration.
Louise Marshall, Director of
Infrastructure & Shared Services swapped
places with Business Administration
Apprentice, Courtney Green, while Keith
Howe, Supply Chain & Service Director, left
the smooth running of Brother UK’s logistics
infrastructure to Electronic Engineering
Apprentice, Jack Whalley, for the day.
Mentoring programme
In addition to the job swap and as part of
a wider mentoring programme it has rolled
out across Tameside, Brother UK hosted 50
students from local high schools within the
Borough.
Taking time out of his day job – as
Digital & Social Media Apprentice – Jones
delivered a short inspirational talk to
the students, outlining the benefits of
apprenticeships and the impact they
have on both business and the economy.
He explained how he believes that
apprenticeships are invaluable in helping
to support skills gaps within businesses, as
well as providing talented young people
with an alternative to going to University in
order to progress in their choice of career.
Three years
ago we
had no
apprentices,
today we
have five
and will
shortly add
a sixth
Phil Jones,
Managing Director,
Brother UK
Jessica Wilbraham Courtney Green Jack Whalley
