Apprentices ready to step up
Findings from Drive My Career have revealed that 95% of apprentices would remain with the same company if they received a job offer after their apprenticeship.
Drive My Career is the employment initiative launched by the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) in February 2018 to improve the perception of the automotive industry among young people. The initiative targets 16-24-year-old potential candidates to raise their awareness of the career opportunities available in the retail side of the automotive industry.
Drive My Career polls its target audience every two months to explore their perception of working in the automotive industry and their understanding of an ideal career. The latest survey had 387 responses and revealed positive attitudes towards apprenticeships.
When asked whether they preferred to go to university or start an apprenticeship, nearly half (47%) opted for the latter. Additionally, the vast majority of respondents (95%) responded ‘yes’ to the question ‘after an apprenticeship, would you continue to work for the same company if they offered you the job?’.
Almost 40% of respondents said the ‘earn while you learn’ element is the most important part of an apprenticeship. This was closely followed by ‘understanding the work environment’ (27%) and ‘gaining early work experience’ (26%).
Drive My Career’s findings mirrored the trend at one of its biggest members, franchised dealer group JCT600. JCT600 operates in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and the North East.
Katie Saunders, JCT600 HR director, said, ‘We recruit between 40 and 50 apprentices each year through our group programme. We employ immediately on permanent contracts rather than temporary or apprenticeship contracts because we see our apprentices as long-term future talent. Ensuring that they have great mentors is also key. We are proud of our 95% retention rate once they have qualified and we have multiple examples of apprentices growing with us to become managers.’
Sue Robinson, NFDA director, added, ‘It is encouraging to see that a large percentage of young people see apprenticeships as an ideal route into their professional career. Our findings demonstrate the importance of investing in the workforce of the future. The automotive retail industry offers a wide range of rewarding, entry-level roles to those looking to start their professional career.’
