EMR is one of the world’s leading metal recyclers, developed from a single site in Rochdale in the 1950s. Today, we have over 170 operational sites globally and employ around 4,000 people in quality and sustainable careers.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO EMPLOY AN APPRENTICE/APPRENTICES?
We are always looking to attract new talent for the wide variety of roles we have at EMR and offering apprenticeships is a great way of doing this. We started offering apprenticeships in 2011 in departments including IT, Administration, Finance and Commercial. The majority of our apprentices have gone on to permanent roles at EMR, helping to fill key positions by providing a rich stream of qualified and experienced talent. For example our IT department has seen apprentices progress from the Helpdesk through to Development, Security and Business Insights roles. Our apprentices have proven to be enthusiastic and keen to put the skills they learn as part of their qualification into practice when they return to work, helping to bring fresh new ideas to our existing teams.
EMR has many opportunities available at our sites for apprentices who want to take charge of their career by working towards a recognised qualification whilst gaining real-life work experience. We continue to learn from each other, breaking the stereotypes as we go; from female drivers and engineers to second careers for those who have long since left school.
PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE/HIGHLIGHT.
Our experience of hiring apprentices in a wide variety of roles has been a truly positive one. This led to a real highlight for us when we became a key employer in a trailblazer group to develop the first industry specific apprenticeship programme, the Level 2 Metal Recycling General Operative (MRGO).
General Yard Operative is an entry level, yet skilled role that has previously not been recognised by a formal qualification. By developing the MRGO apprenticeship, it has enabled us to not only attract new talent to EMR but to also offer this as a development opportunity to our staff. It provides existing employees with formal training and skills that are instantly transferable to their workplace and also helps with staff morale and retention. We are currently building on the success of the MRGO with the development of the Metal Recycling Technical Manager (MRTM) Apprenticeship which will capture the hard earned skills required to operate at that level whilst
also offering a structured career progression route for yard based employees.
WHAT DO YOU FEEL ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF OFFERING AN APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME OVER OTHER TRAINING OR EDUCATION?
As an organisation, we are lucky to have a wealth of experience from our long serving employees and the apprenticeship programmes offer a structure to training, guiding our coaches and mentors to an end goal, as well as challenging them with new industry theory and practice. Colleges and training centres can only do so much but by working closely together, we are able to offer far more than any classroom experience, working alongside those that may have been with EMR for thirty+ years. Unlike other forms of training, apprentices are able to apply what they have learned in the classroom as soon as they return to work, helping to consolidate their learning.
PLEASE DESCRIBE THE BENEFIT OF APPRENTICES IN YOUR BUSINESS.
With the introduction of apprenticeship standards, employers have been given the opportunity to shape the content of apprenticeship training, ensuring it is realistic and relevant to the specific role being trained for. It has allowed us as a business to work more closely with our training providers and to learn from each other and nurture talent across a range of functions including:
Business Administration
Digital Marketing
Engineering
HR
IT
Logistics
Metal Recycling Operations
Welding
We look forward to seeing how apprentices in all areas and at all levels help to shape the future of EMR.
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