With college students from throughout Wales receiving A-Degree and GCSE outcomes and enthusiastic about their subsequent steps, Scott Davis is a superb instance of what could be achieved by means of an apprenticeship.
His profession has spanned 25 years and has seen him develop from an apprentice to his present function of CEO at one in all Wales’ largest engineering firms, The Ethikos Group.
Scott’s huge expertise within the trade has allowed him to replicate on the values employers search for when recruiting potential candidates. As an employer, father, and former apprentice himself, he additionally desires to encourage younger folks to discover the numerous choices they’ve out there to them after leaving college or for these trying to change profession later in life together with beginning an apprenticeship.
From a younger age, Scott knew he needed to work in engineering and dived right into a profession after leaving college at 16. With sturdy GCSE outcomes, many individuals didn’t count on him to observe the apprenticeship route.
“I loved college and had actually good outcomes at GCSE stage. It will have been a pure subsequent step for me to proceed in training and go to school, however I felt I didn’t thrive in a classroom-based atmosphere, so my dad and mom inspired me to contemplate the apprenticeship route.
“Once I left college there was once a sure stigma round apprenticeships and so they had been usually ignored as a legitimate vocation. Some folks wrongly seen apprenticeships as a job for kids who weren’t intelligent sufficient for college, however this isn’t the case in any respect. There are most likely some dad and mom who nonetheless have misconceptions concerning the present apprenticeship programmes which is why as an employer and father, I really feel it is actually essential to advertise apprenticeships as a fascinating route into the roles and industries that can assist form the longer term.”
Abilities for achievement
Scott turned an Electrical Engineering Apprentice at Shotton Metal, now often known as Tata Metal. He labored in various completely different engineering corporations earlier than beginning The Ethikos Group in 2017.
Though he discovered sensible engineering expertise throughout his apprenticeship, it’s the broader expertise he discovered which actually helped him develop as an individual.
“My apprenticeship helped me develop from a youngster into a person, and the broader expertise I developed are invaluable. You learn to talk from a younger age; you might have simply entered the world of labor however you learn to work together with stakeholders on all ranges, colleagues, and other people from completely different areas of the enterprise. It additionally teaches you a fantastic work ethic, having to show your value in a aggressive atmosphere.
“What’s equally essential is to have mutual respect for different folks, irrespective of their stage or expertise. These values have been instilled in me from a younger age, and I feel that’s one of many causes I’ve managed to progress to the place I’m now.”
As a former apprentice himself, Scott is proof that apprenticeships are a viable path to a profitable profession path, he at present employs 18 apprentices throughout the three working corporations owned by The Ethikos Group – Delta Rock Group Ltd, Gilks (Nantwich) Ltd and Print-Tech Options Ltd.
“At Ethikos, we’re at all times trying to spend money on new expertise. We’re not searching for any explicit particular person, so long as they’ve a optimistic perspective, all the things else will fall into place. We will educate them expertise that are moulded to our enterprise and trade’s wants. My expertise as an apprentice has positively made me admire their worth.
“Wales is a rustic filled with affluent SMEs and we have to take duty to coach the subsequent era. For corporations like ours, we’re creating the engineers of tomorrow, and I feel there’s an ethical obligation, in addition to enterprise want, for us to safe the longer term expertise wanted for the trade to succeed.
“We’re residing in a really completely different world now. Younger persons are a lot extra digitally adept, however we’re nonetheless in want of individuals with these core commerce expertise – apprenticeships can practice folks on-the-job and future-proof our core industries.”
Loads of choices
At a time the place many younger folks throughout Wales are starting to consider the street forward, or when folks may additionally be enthusiastic about altering profession, an apprenticeship could possibly be the proper step in direction of a rewarding and profitable profession.
There are a selection of choices out there, and in keeping with Scott, younger folks must get the suitable help throughout this time and discover all pathways.
“I’m a father of three kids, my eldest has simply completed college and my second is ready for his GCSE outcomes. Though I’m an advocate for apprenticeships, I’ve inspired them to contemplate all choices.
“I can converse as an employer, as a former apprentice, and as a mother or father. An apprenticeship is certainly an avenue folks ought to take into account – if an individual has the suitable perspective and work ethic, it is going to set them as much as thrive of their future profession.
“Greater than ever, kids should be surrounded by individuals who encourage them to do properly and to introduce them to the vary of alternatives on the market, together with apprenticeships. Outcomes days are only a second in time, I’d encourage dad and mom to inspire their kids and to indicate them that in the event that they set their minds to it, they will obtain something. The world is their oyster.”
For extra details about turning into or recruiting an apprentice, go to the Apprenticeships Wales Genius Choice web site, or name 0800 028 4844
