To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week (February 5-11) we’re sharing insights into some of our apprenticeship roles at Selwood and our team who began their careers as apprentices.
Here, we sat down with Jon to find out why he chose the apprenticeship route and the journey he took to get to where he is today.
Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship?
“While at school I did work experience at Selwood’s Stafford Repair Centre during half terms and summer holidays – I loved the work, the people and that I was earning a bit of money at 15!
“I left school in 2011 unsure of what I wanted to do as a career but my manager at Selwood suggested I apply for an apprenticeship. I applied to be an Apprentice Fitter, got the job and started straight away. I went to college part time and studied NVQ levels 2 and 3 in Plant Maintenance over three years.”
What did you enjoy about being an Apprentice Fitter?
“My apprenticeship was an all-round great experience. I shadowed a Fitter who helped me hone my skills. Much of my first year was spent learning on the job with the support of my mentor, before being trusted to take on my own jobs in the second and third year of my apprenticeship.
“At the time, Stafford had amazing people that took me under their wing. This is so important to apprentices – they need someone who has the skills and experience to support and motivate them.
Tell us about your career at Selwood
“I was offered a job in the third year of my apprenticeship and became a Workshop Engineer at Stafford Repair Centre in 2014.
“I enjoyed the routine in the repair centre but wanted more of a challenge and to see how our branches operated, so in 2016 I successfully applied for a Mobile Fitter position in the Stafford hire branch (now Birmingham Pump Rental).
“Every day was different – I was travelling to sites to do servicing, breakdowns and installs. This was a big change to working in the workshop.”
“Two years later (2018) I was approached by my Branch Manager to apply for Foreman and was appointed the role at 22-years-old. I stayed in this role until I was promoted to Southern Technical Support Engineer in 2023.
“I’ve learnt so much from every role, from the core technical skills at the repair centre to people management and customer service skills in the hire branch.
“Starting my Selwood journey as an apprentice not only helped me develop unique skills, but being around such strong role models I became more mature and emotionally intelligent. This definitely gave me a step up and has helped me in my career.”
“My mentors, who have since retired, had a hand in making me who I am today.”
Would you recommend an apprenticeship?
“100%. It can set you up for a successful career. If you do an apprenticeship at Selwood you can leave as a fully skilled, fully trained engineer and set yourself apart from other candidates or stay in the company and have a fulfilling career.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to now be involved in Selwood’s apprenticeship scheme, having been an apprentice myself. I’m keen to support apprentices and let them know that they can call me or ask for support anytime.”