Industry Voice: Dan Wilson on apprenticeships
Dan Wilson is director of Mar Scaffolding and a NASC Council member. Here, as Scotland celebrates Scottish Apprenticeship Week, he explains why his firm remains committed to taking on apprentices and what they bring to the business.
“Generally, we take on two apprentices a year and have strong links with local careers officers at schools in our area. We typically focus our recruitment to the end of the academic year, when there is a noticeable increase in young people looking to leave education and enter the workplace. This also coincides with a higher number of careers events organised by local schools, which we actively support.
“I normally attend a couple of these careers events myself and was recently at Glenrothes High School speaking with pupils about careers in the scaffolding industry and what opportunities we can offer.
“We have had strong success with apprenticeships, particularly in terms of retention and long-term development. Our current contracts manager joined Mar Scaffolding as an apprentice in 2003, and one of our supervisors also started with us as a school-leaving apprentice in 2004. In both cases, we have been their sole employer for over 20 years since leaving education.
“Of our current workforce of 37 employees, 12 either joined the business through our apprenticeship scheme or are currently progressing through it. One of our former apprentices was also recognised with an Apprentice of the Year award through the National Construction College.
“At present, we have two first-year apprentices, two second-year apprentices, and a newly qualified tradesman, all of whom are performing very well. All the above is testament to the potential that young people can bring to our business and the long-term mutual benefits apprenticeships offer to both trainee and employer.
From an industry perspective, apprenticeships are also essential in addressing skills shortages in the industry.
Over the coming months, we will begin sourcing suitable candidates for our next intake through our social media channels and continued engagement with local schools. Our selection process typically involves an aptitude test followed by an interview.
Following a strong track record with apprentices and seeing the long-term value they bring, reinstating our apprenticeship programme is a natural step for the business.
Dan Wilson is director of Mar Scaffolding and a NASC Council member
