At Canford, we've always welcomed apprentices into the company, helping to provide them with a solid foundation to go on and build incredibly successful careers. But the best apprenticeships are never all one way.
All of our apprentices work incredibly hard and we regularly forget they are apprentices and not seasoned members of staff! Testament to the huge amount of work they put in and the impact they have on their colleagues. Lucas Foulk even won Apprentice of the Year at the annual Sunderland Business Excellence Awards in 2022.
Pictured are: Anna and Katie (UK Sales), Dylan (Site Services), Bobby and Jason (Warehouse)
Not pictured from our current crop of top apprentices are Lucas (Production) and Caprice (Manufacturing)
We've Supported Apprentices from the Very Beginning
We've had more than fifty apprentices over the years, and whilst some learn their craft and move on to new pastures, with our full blessing and a solid reference, many of our apprentices remain at Canford and have gone on to have pivotal roles at the company including our CEO Alan Wilson, who started as an apprentice in Purchasing.
We asked Alan about the importance of providing opportunities for apprentices:
It’s incredibly important! As has been well documented, there is a real shortage of emerging talent for companies operating within Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM) industries, but this shortage isn’t just limited to hands-on engineering roles. We’ve always welcomed apprentices into almost every department here including Production and Engineering (both here in Washington and at our Portland site), Sales, Warehousing, Human Resources, Finance, Site Services and building maintenance, Shipping and Logistics, IT, and Purchasing where I started as an apprentice many years ago.
I'm consistently amazed by the quality, maturity, and work ethic that our apprentices show and welcome their enthusiasm and dedication with open arms.
Interested in working at Canford?
We are regularly on the lookout for new apprentices and top talent so why not keep an eye on our Careers page.