March saw the return of National Apprenticeship Week, where businesses across the country celebrated the success of apprenticeships as career pathways. The development of young people has been important to Stancold for many years and in July 2017 we welcomed our newest apprentice, Andrew Hughes.
As he has now passed his 6-month work anniversary and in celebration of National Apprenticeship Week, we wanted to catch up with Andrew and find out how he is getting on during his Level 3 Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment. We asked him a few questions:
Since you started your apprenticeship, which skills do you think you’ve improved the most?
Probably my people skills. Speaking to clients and companies on the phone and via e-mail all day has boosted my confidence and helped me when dealing with tasks in the workplace.
How have your day-to-day tasks changed now that you’re over half way through your first year?
I would have to say the amount of responsibility I’ve been given has increased and I find I’m trusted with bigger tasks; I now deal with almost 95% of our plant and stock orders and contribute to my fair share of drawings when time allows.
What are you enjoying the most about the role at Stancold?
The amount of learning involved in the role keeps me on my toes. I find there is constantly new information to learn so no two days are the same! Everyone here is always so keen to help as well if I ever have any questions, the environment is friendly and makes each day more enjoyable.
How is the day-to-day learning at Stancold helping your college studies?
General day-to-day work helps me understand construction as an industry, specifically my health and safety studies, while spending time on drawings and ordering materials for site are really useful for the mathematical aspect of the course.
With just over a year left until Andrew graduates from his course, everyone at Stancold is really pleased with the progress he is making and the value he is adding to the team.
