Coast & Country apprentices learned the importance of teamwork and communication skills during a team building day at Carlton Lodge.
Nine of Redcar-based Coast & Country’s staff and 15 of its apprentices, attended the team building day at the Carlton Lodge Activity Centre in Thirsk. The team spent the day completing various indoor and outdoor activities, including a challenge course, archery, raft building and problem solving with the aim of strengthening team work, communication skills andconfidence among the apprentices.
Staff members who attended the training day also act as mentors to the apprentices. The training day gave them the opportunity to work with the apprentices away from the office environment, and encourage them through activities, while building on their own skills as a mentor.
Coast & Country aims to provide an apprenticeship programme that develops and nurtures all the skills required for its workforce, not just qualifications. Regular training and activity days away from the workplace allow apprentices to recognise these skills and build self-confidence and self-esteem.
Emma Tooth, Apprenticeship Co-ordinator at Coast & Country said: “Our apprentices and staff have been able to spend time getting to know each other in a different environment, which establishes trust, strengthens relationships and can contribute to a co-operative work environment.
“Team building exercises are extremely useful for the development and progression of our apprentices. They test the strength of valuable life skills, including communication and problem solving abilities, but can also improve self-esteem and confidence, which is important when taking on more responsibilities in the next steps of a career.”
Mathew Yates, ICT Apprentice at Coast & Country said: “The team building day at Carlton Lodge was a great idea and I feel that everyone who attended was able to benefit from it. It pushed people out of their comfort zones and, as we were all supporting one another through the different exercises, it proved to be a success.
“It was good to see some Coast & Country colleagues outside of the workplace, and although there were obvious reasons behind the team-building exercises, we were able to have a lot of fun as well.”