30.01.10
B&Q SUPPORTS NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK 2010
B&Q set to double its intake of Apprentices for 2010
National Apprenticeship Week takes place next week from Monday 1st to Friday
5th February. The week, which is organised by the National Apprenticeship
Service (NAS) celebrates the talents and skills of apprentices and will
see apprentices, employers, providers and all those involved with apprenticeship
programmes come together to celebrate the value of apprentices, a scheme
B&Q fully supports.
B&Q currently has 130 staff completing its first Retail Apprenticeship
Programme, who are all on track to achieve it this July, including seventy
year-old, Terry Robinson from Oxford and 18 year-old Adam Wilson from Chesterfield.
From September 2010 the retailer aims to more than double the number of
places to 300 and, for the first time, will be extending applications to
external candidates as well as currently employed staff. Plus, with employees
aged from 18 to 70 the scheme is believed to be the most diversity-friendly
apprenticeship scheme in the industry.
B&Q has long seen the links and benefits between learning, engaged employees
and, ultimately, productivity. Stores where staff are committed to learning
have been found to be the best performing and the retailer has also found
that, as a result of training staff to the nationally recognised, City and
Guilds standard, customers are beginning to shop with more confidence as
a result of the advice they are being given by staff.
The B&Q Retail Apprenticeship is a 12-month programme of learning completed
on the job. The qualification gives apprentices the skills, knowledge and
confidence they need to progress their career in their chosen field.
Euan Sutherland, CEO says: "By investing in qualifications we’re
helping ensure B&Q has friendly expert staff of all ages. We are seeing
encouraging signs that customers are shopping with more confidence, knowing
that they are being given sound advice by staff."
"If you walk into B&Q and meet a friendly person with a badge saying
they've got one of our City & Guilds qualifications, you're going to
know you're getting expert advice. City & Guilds is a powerful brand
and employees can't achieve the qualifications unless they meet the full
criteria as approved by City & Guilds."
Simon Waugh, Chief Executive of the National Apprenticeship Service said:
“It is fantastic news to hear that B & Q is doubling its intake
of apprentices, providing opportunities to many more committed individuals
across the country. With more and more organisations beginning to switch
on to apprentices and the benefits they bring to business, there’s
never been a better time to find out more about Apprenticeships”.
B&Q employs more than 30,000 employees with a quarter over the age of
50 and a similar percentage under the age of 25. Most company apprenticeship
schemes are only open to those aged between 18 and 25, making B&Q's
scheme unique as there are no age limitations. The investment in skills
offers real opportunities across all B&Q’s employees to get an
externally recognised qualification.
In April of last year, B&Q picked up the Global Gallup Great Workplace Award. It is the third consecutive year it has won the award and is the only UK business awarded. The Gallop Great Workplace Award is based on the most rigorous workplace research ever conducted and honours organizations whose employee engagement results demonstrate they have the most productive and engaged workforces in the World.
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