Tyne Tees Ceramics reveal how they found their ideal apprentice

At Learning and Skills, we’re proud to work with hundreds of employers across the region who are looking for a solution to staffing challenges. We spoke with Clare, Joint Owner of Tyne Tees Ceramics, about her experience of working with us to recruit an apprentice.

Q: Hi, can you please introduce yourself and your apprentice?

A: I'm Clare Craven, I'm one of the owners of Tyne Tees Ceramics, and we took on Owen as a Trade Supplier and Warehouse Operative Apprentice.

Q: Why did you decide to get an apprentice involved in the business?

A: We wanted someone who became part of the business, and specifically a young person who could learn a variety of roles. In the past when we've brought people in, it's mainly been for a specific job, and we didn’t want that; it wasn't about bringing someone in and then bringing someone else in in a year's time. It's about Owen being here long term; that's what we want, and hopefully when his apprenticeship is over, he wants to stay. We have already been talking about some new tasks for him to do next, like doing forklift training or driving some of the vehicles and doing some smaller deliveries. For us, getting an apprentice is about having someone who's part of the team. Having a younger person here helps too, because we have an aging workforce.

Q: What was your experience of our free recruitment process?

A: It was great! I mean, there are things that are beyond the council's control, like if people don't show to an interview. But they did a very good job bringing people in who would have suited the role. Nobody who came was massively overqualified or underqualified. I think it's really hard for young people, we all acknowledge that. Even during the interview process, we were trying to make it as easy as possible because they're new to the world of work. A lot of them, prior to coming, had probably never been in an interview, or if they had, it showed that they were very nervous. The candidates who came were exactly who we expected, so it was smooth, and then we obviously made the hiring decision ourselves and the council have been there to support it.

Q: What are your thoughts about young people wanting to do an apprenticeship?

A: I think a lot of younger people do really well with responsibility. People may think the whole thing about young people not wanting to be in school means that they're not bothered. But Owen's probably the most conscientious person that we've had. He's never late, he's always here, always ready to speak to somebody. That's the bit I think you need to get young people into because it shows them what they can do, not testing them against what they can't do. Just because they can't be in the classroom doesn't mean they can't come in and do extremely well in different parts of a job. When they make the effort, it shows here straight away, and it’s great. It’s obvious that they want to work and learn; I just wish there were more opportunities for them.

Q: So, would you recommend taking on an apprentice to other employers?

A: Definitely. I think it is about finding that right person, which obviously is quite difficult. But I suppose if we didn't find Owen the first-time round, we would probably just have repeated the process again and gone back to the drawing board with it. But we felt quite fortunate to meet Owen straight away.

Q: Finally, would you recommend using us as a training provider?

A: Absolutely, yes. It's been a smooth process, and we've had no issues with it, so we’re very satisfied with our experience.

If you want to find your ideal apprentice just like Clare, or just learn more about apprenticeships in general, why not have a chat with one of our Business Development Officers?