A Yorkshire-based manufacturing firm with 15 years of offering apprenticeships has announced it is to offer full-time roles to six apprentices who have completed their training there.

Conservatory Outlet, a maker of home improvement products based in Wakefield, has hailed the appointments as an example of its clear focus on investing in apprenticeships with a clear purpose, equipping trainees with the real skills they need and also providing good performers with jobs at the end of the process. 

Located in Wakefield, the firm has invested more than £130,000 in apprenticeships in the last year alone. Head of HR Karen Starkey said: “We are one of Wakefield’s largest employers and believe it is critical to continue to offer new opportunities to local people.”

Offering apprenticeships has proved to be one of the most effective ways of doing this and effectively expanding and recruiting the workforce as the company grows, she stated. The firm now employs over 120 staff, with the new roles coming in areas like team leadership, accounting IT and marketing. 

The opportunities on offer include the chance to take an AAT level 3 accounting apprenticeship, with this applying to one of the newest apprentices to come on board.

Ms Starkey revealed: “Two new apprentices have just started with us, with Ben Bradbury and Sam Allan studying towards their Business Admin Level 3 and AAT course respectively.”

The fact that a manufacturing firm has invested in apprenticeships to provide office-based staff with the requisite training is an indication that the need for a lot of firms to resolve skill shortages lies in this area.

Writing for HR Director this month, Andrew Fitchew from the Apprentify Group said cyber security, digital marketing and data science were all areas in which apprenticeships could help reduce skill shortages.

He predicted employers will understand the need for data analysts more, understand the benefits of training sales staff instead of paying high salaries to lure in experienced talent, and would appreciate the need for cyber security experts due to businesses in the UK being the third most likely to suffer ransomware attacks of any country in the world.