Accounting Apprenticeships in Launceston

Buttons Accounting Limited provides accounting, book-keeping and a wide range of other services to businesses and self-employed sole traders and partnerships based in Launceston they employ 14 members of staff. Their mission statement is ‘to always provide a friendly, efficient and informative service’ developed with input from each member of staff meaning this is at the heart of everyone’s work.

What were the businesses issues/challenges to undertake training?

Emma Gilbert started Button’s in 2004 from home where she began building a client base. In 2006 Emma had her own premises and started taking apprentices to keep up with the demand of work and to expand the business, since then Button’s is committed to taking on at least one apprentice per year.

The training undertook:

Employing apprentices are the best way to bring employees into the business. They bring fresh minds that absorb and learn so much in the first years of working. When they join the company they are treated as equals in the workplace and are expected to value and uphold Button’s standards. Button’s apprentices are all at different stages of their career journeys, undertaking the different levels of AAT.

What impacts and benefits has the training had on the company?

Apprentices have helped the company to succeed, with their enthusiasm to become part of a team, to fulfil a role and develop their own skills and responsibilities. On completing a successful apprenticeship, they feel confident enough to take on responsibility and mentor others. One of their apprentices, Paulina, has grown in confidence during her apprenticeship and has taken it upon herself to organise our payroll into a separate service rather than an add-on service. The training has helped to build a confident team who work together to help to improve their own and each other’s skills, which in turn builds confidence within the company. Since April 2016 Buttons have taken on an additional 40 clients; which Emma believes is in itself, a testimony to their success within the industry.

“I find taking on apprentices is the best way to bring employees into the business. They bring fresh minds that absorb and learn so much in the first years of working.” 

Emma Gilbert, Buttons Accounting Limited

We have over 100 apprenticeships available.

Apprenticeships at The Eden Project

The Eden Project

The Eden Project is an Educational Charity based in a disused China Clay pit near St Austell. Since opening they have welcomed over 18 million visitors to their site, relying on a team of over 450 employees and 150 volunteers. 

What were the businesses issues/challenges to undertake training?

Eden made the decision to invest in apprenticeships because they believe it’s their duty to support young people in Cornwall and give them opportunities to develop into their chosen careers. As an educational charity, developing apprentices allows them to meet their charitable aims, whilst also supporting the local economy through developing talent. It also makes business sense for Eden to be investing in succession planning through apprenticeships, by developing people into areas they struggle to recruit. Such as Chef and Horticulture, Eden often find it difficult to recruit people with the requisite level of knowledge, skills and experience to fill vacancies and as such made the decision that they would start to ‘grow their own’.

The training undertook:

The Eden Project currently employs 30 apprentices in 10 different teams; Horticulture, Chefs, Hospitality, Retail, Narrators, Graphics, Finance, Facilities, Events and Marketing. All of their apprentices are on two year contracts, with an intake of 15 apprentices per year.

Eden’s mission is to develop enterprising and employable young people who are motivated to leave the world better than they found it. To do this they have created add-ons beyond their main learning frameworks such as a Sustainable Enterprise programme, a ‘Plough-to-Plate’ project, individual skills workshops and a mentoring scheme. Eden have partnered with many local employers to give their apprentices additional support and opportunity’s including trips to River Cottage, Newlyn Fish market, Nathan Outlaw’s restaurant and workshops in Coppicing and Bee-keeping. All of these things take significant organisational commitment to deliver, but they feel that they are vital in developing apprentices who will go on to achieve extraordinary things.

What impacts and benefits has the training had on the company?

Apprenticeships have brought Eden many benefits and have become highly valued across the business. A significant sign of this is that over the last two intakes teams who previously didn't want to recruit apprentices have seen the impact they have had on the rest of the business and have requested to recruit their own. One of the most notable benefits of apprenticeships to Eden, has been the positive impact on succession planning. They currently employ six skilled Horticulturists from their previous horticultural apprenticeship programme and already employ five of the apprentices who have just graduated from their expanded programme. This is a really important benefit for Eden as they have struggled in the past to recruit people with the right knowledge and skills into the teams these apprentices work in.

"Apprenticeships are a hugely important part of what we do. We are an educational charity and take very seriously our role in bringing along the next generation of young people. Eden apprentices are the leaders of tomorrow and there are no limits to what they can achieve." Gordon Seabright, Managing Director of The Eden Project

We have over 100 apprenticeships available.

Truro Tractors Outstanding Commitment to Apprenticeships

Truro Tractors is a family firm, established for over 30 years providing machinery for agriculture, horticulture and the construction industry employing 34 members of staff. They offer servicing and repairs, and provide full training on all machinery, to a local customer base, which spans both Devon and Cornwall.

What were the businesses issues/challenges to undertake training?

There is currently a short supply of available, well qualified Agricultural Engineers within the business. As a company they viewed the situation as one that would potentially cause them problems in the future. They felt that the only option open to them, was to train their own. They saw this as a valuable investment in the long term, to secure a well -qualified work force. Both directors started their careers through an Apprenticeship with Duchy College Rosewarne, and found it to be both a valuable and enjoyable experience. It was also the first place they considered, as a training provider for their own apprentices.

The training undertook:

Truro Tractors currently have two apprentices undertaking Land based Engineering Operations City and Guilds, Level 2 and Level 3. Both apprentices attend Duchy College Rosewarne one day a week and are supported by Truro Tractors through mentoring, additional training and workshops plus slowly handing over levels of responsibility and offer regular pay increase in line with their progression. Truro Tractors are committed to the Apprenticeship ethos, developing and investing in highly motivated individuals who are looking to make a career within the world of agriculture engineering.

What impacts and benefits has the training had on the company?

Their apprentices have helped drive the company forward, and assist in the substantial growth of what was once a ‘small’ family run business. Their customers like to see their apprentices within the business, and they often take a personal interest in their progress. As customers they value the stability of staff, and this in turn helps them build trust in the company. Two of their most experienced engineers began with the company as apprentices; one has been with them for 20 years and another for 15. This is a true testament to their dedication to apprenticeships which led them to win the Outstanding Commitment to Apprenticeships Small Company category at the recent Excellence in Business Training Awards 2017, hosted by CCB.

“The impact that our apprentices have had on our business, is in the way in which they have been able to drive the company forward, and assist in the substantial growth of what was once a ‘small’ family run business”.

Jonathan Stephens, Director of Truro Tractors

We have over 100 apprenticeships available.