National Apprenticeship Week Success

Colby, our Electrical Apprentice, became our third electrical apprentice to qualify after studying Level 3 Electrical Installation at Waltham Forest College and we are delighted to announce that he was offered the role of Electrical Improver during NAW25.

Perfect timing for Colby to start the next phase of his journey with Aston Group and cement his future. It's a great example of how our Pipeline into Employment programme is successful, offering local people from the communities that we live and work in, the chance to train and up skill within the Built Environment and go on to secure a career, increase their social mobility and feel confident about their ability to provide a wonderful life for themselves and their families.

Well done Colby, we are extremely proud of you and look forward to watching you grow and develop even further with us.

Waltham Forest College Employer’s Fair

With so many of our apprentices moving on to the next steps of their careers, it creates exciting opportunities for the next intake of apprenticeships, and we were keen to meet aspiring trades people at the various employability events that we attended during NAW25.

We kicked off the week at Waltham Forest College Employer Fair, where our Social Value Manager Rachel and Electrical Apprentice Iman were inundated with enthusiastic questions from over 70 students and residents about potential placements with Aston Group.

We were so overwhelmed with attention, that it was impossible for everyone crowding around to hear the fantastic advice that Iman was sharing, so we offered to stay behind and deliver a master class on electrical apprenticeships so that everyone had a chance to hear and ask questions when it was quieter. We met some fantastic people who we have earmarked for work experience placements and potential apprenticeships and are keen to continue getting to know them more in our upcoming Pre-Employment Programme which launches on February 20^th.

Rachel said: “It’s an important part of our apprenticeship programme that we take our apprentices to job fairs and school and college employability events to allow their peers to hear their personal experiences and learn what is achievable. Becoming an Apprentice Ambassador for Aston Group also allows them to develop confidence and self-esteem through public speaking and engagement.

I have always been proud of my apprentice team at the events that we have attended in the past, as they conduct themselves with consummate professionalism, are warm and friendly and treat everyone with respect. This year however, I was overwhelmed with pride as 21-year-old Iman, confidently and articulately spoke in detail at great length to all the job fair attendees, and in front of almost 30 people at the masterclass.

He was able to showcase his knowledge and experience and answer complex questions with ease, effortlessly supporting and encouraging the young people with real life case studies and highlighting the benefits of apprenticeships. It was an incredible performance, especially as it was out of his comfort zone, demonstrating how mature and confident he has become over the past 3 years. It was wonderful to see the audience so engaged, hanging on his every word and asking for him to return to continue giving advice and guidance. Bravo Iman!"

School Apprenticeship Presentations

On Wednesday and Thursday of NAW25, Social Value Manager Rachel, delivered multiple apprenticeships presentations to SEN students at Joseph Clarke and Whitefield Schools in Waltham Forest, talking about the benefits of apprenticeships and explaining how they worked.

Rachel explained “It’s always such a pleasure to engage with the students at these schools, they are beautifully behaved and always engaged and eager to learn. I’ve been working with them for a while now, and have built up a great relationship with both students and the teaching staff, and find it immensely rewarding to be able to share the possibilities and opportunities that are available for young people, and to open up the world of construction as more than just a job with a hard hat. At Joseph Clarke where they have a mixture of SEN and visually impaired students, they were able to create copies of my presentation in Braille allowing all students to have a physical copy to take home.”

Sam McCarthy, Careers Leader for Learning in Harmony Trust schools, Whitefield and Joseph Clarke said

“Rachel From Aston Group delivered Apprenticeship presentations/workshops at Joseph Clarke and at Whitefield school during the week to different classes and she adapted her presentation for different learners for visual impaired learners. We had the presentation formatted to different versions, including braille so learners could take copies home. Learners were very active and engaged in the workshops. Rachel has built a professional rapport with learners and now learners are understanding different job roles with Aston Group and what the company offers for the community and its employees. “

LASC – Meet The Employer Job Fair

On Thursday Iman and Colby attended the Meet the Employer Job Fair at London Academy of Sustainable Construction (LASC) in Leytonstone, where they spoke to hundreds of students from attending schools and local people interested about gaining a role in construction. With the help of our interactive electrical demo board, they were able to let people get hands on with the different functions they commonly use in their jobs and bring their role to life.

Rachel also attended a job fair held by Project Zero at the Outset centre in Walthamstow on Monday 17^th, where she was able to promote upcoming opportunities for employment, work experience placements and apprenticeships.

Rachel said: “It was a great opportunity to talk about the ‘Get into Construction’ pre-employment programme that we have co-created with The Vistry Group and Taylor Wimpey which launches on February 20^th at Priory Court Community Centre. Attendees will have the chance to hear about the variety of employment options available to them, including work experience, FREE CSCS cards and apprenticeships. They will receive training on CVs, Interviews and are guaranteed an interview at the end of the programme. February’s programme is a more generic course open to anyone who wants to get into construction with a recruitment agency attending who can offer entry level labouring roles, whereas in June, we will launch a similar programme aimed explicitly at apprenticeships. The February course allows us to start identifying emerging talent who we can place on apprenticeships in September."

Future apprenticeships at Aston Group

We are currently evaluating the needs of the business to determine which types of apprenticeship we are able to offer in the new Academic Year.

We are very proud of our apprenticeship programme; however, we are always looking to improve and as such are reviewing the programme to make it more robust and are in the process of creating an Apprentice Council to give fuller and wider support to our apprentices.

Our recruitment process is also changing. Once our apprenticeships have been decided upon, we will advertise the roles on our website and with local employment avenues including local schools, colleges, youth groups and community centres, as well as during our upcoming Apprentice Selection event in June. Applications can then be made by sending a CV and cover letter outlining your interest in a specific apprenticeship to Rachel Statter R.Statter@astongroup.co.uk

Following a successful interview, potential apprentices will be given an initial 2-week work experience placement to allow them to gain a deeper understanding of their desired job role, meet the team and see if the position is right for them.

Apprentices need to be 16+, live in England and not in full time education.

If you require some assistance with your CV or would like some help with preparing for an interview, please contact Rachel who will be happy to assist.