Working alongside Tyne North Training, Elfab, a North Shields based manufacturing company, has developed a pioneering training programme that uses the new Business Administration Standard.
The new Apprenticeship Standard develops young people towards project leadership and management roles, resulting in increased employability. Elfab is one of the first companies to offer it.
They worked with Tyne North Training to design an appropriate programme as they wanted their next administration apprentice to gain transferable skills, knowledge and behaviours that could be applied across different business areas. These include report-writing, problem-solving and making active contributions to business improvements.
It proved an ideal opportunity to launch the new Business Administration Apprenticeship Standard, and Tyne North Training were able to put forward a strong candidate in Daniel James. With his Diploma in IT and Applications, he seemed a perfect fit for the team.
Daniel joined Elfab earlier this year as Customer Service Advisor Apprentice. He has quickly established himself as a vital team member, taking on responsibility for several key customer accounts. He said, ‘I’ve found the programme really positive. Elfab has given me the chance to prove myself and make a difference to the company. I’ve learnt so much that goes beyond the actual qualification, and that is so valuable.’
Maxine Henry, HR Manager at Elfab, added, ‘It’s been really exciting to develop this new apprenticeship programme with Tyne North Training, and see Daniel develop since he started with us. Having apprentices in our company brings new ways of thinking and energy into the team. The apprentices come in with best-practice theory that we can use, and in return we can model their development – it’s a win-win situation.’
Julia Jackson, Daniel’s Training Officer at Tyne North Training, said: ‘Through the partnership with Elfab, Daniel has exceeded all our expectations. Business Administration is one of the UK’s most popular apprenticeships, and I can see the new Apprenticeship Standard really taking off over the coming months. It is just great to work with Elfab, who are one of the early adopters of this programme.’
Investing in people is key to Elfab’s growth strategy. Tyne North’s Apprenticeship Programme has proved to be a successful route to accessing a talent pool to broaden skills throughout the organisation.
