Bruntwood celebrates National Apprenticeship Week 2024

This week, we’ve been celebrating National Apprenticeship Week. And while we don’t need a dedicated week to shout about how great apprenticeships can be for somebody’s development and career and for organisations, we’d love to take the opportunity to share the amazing work of our apprentices.

Apprenticeships are key to our aim of improving access to good employment and training opportunities. We want to tackle inequalities through supporting provisions for underserved communities, young people and by championing socially responsible business growth; and apprenticeships help us to do just this.

Across the Bruntwood group we have 41 apprentices and colleagues studying an apprenticeship. We caught up with Graham Evans, Horticulture and Estate Manager at Bruntwood, who has two apprentices in his team: Michael & Sam. Here’s his experience:

How have apprenticeships supported you and your team?

Apprenticeships provide the opportunity to employ and positively influence the lives of individuals. From experience, the colleges have been very supportive in helping with their learning and excellent relations have been formed between the apprenticeship provider and ourselves, as we work together to help the apprentices reach their goal of achieving their qualification and becoming excellent candidates for future job applications.

What would you say to anybody thinking about recruiting an apprentice or using an apprenticeship to upskill existing colleagues?

Don't even hesitate to look at bringing somebody into your team on an apprenticeship. The two apprentices which I have within my Horticulture and Estates team at Alderley Park have been such a positive experience. They are both so eager to learn and contribute to Bruntwood’s success, bringing so much positive energy! I would go as far as to say that apprenticeships within the workplace offer the ideal platform for bringing future talent into the business, and an ideal opportunity for existing members of the Bruntwood family to share and pass on their wealth of knowledge, positively influencing the future of the company in the process!

And what do our apprentices think? Here’s what Michael had to say:

“The apprenticeship that I have done has been a lot of work but it was enjoyable and it is a great way to get into the line of work that you want to while actually experiencing what it would be like to work for the different job roles and how working life is in general.
My manager and supervisor at Bruntwood have been there to support me every step of the way and have helped me throughout the apprenticeship.”

Michael has worked exceptionally hard throughout his apprenticeship, attending college one day a week and being supported by colleagues through rigorous 'on the job' training. We’re so proud of Michael; his eagerness to learn and passion for horticulture is clear to see, and after submitting extensive course work, he has passed his assessment with a distinction. A great achievement to celebrate as we come towards the end of National Apprenticeship Week.