TALENT OF TOMORROW APPRENTICES
Getting back on track
T e pandemic has left many businesses forced to make job cuts, with apprentices often fi nding themselves out of work. We spoke to two SELECT Member fi rms who are helping young people continue their careers after redundancy
By Tim Power W
hen the coronavirus pandemic struck back in late March, people were naturally
worried about their health, but, for many, there were also concerns for their livelihoods. Unfortunately, in the electrical sector it was often young apprentices that were made redundant as employers looked to cut costs. However, their loss was a gain for some far-sighted employers who have taken their pick of the young talent available and helped to put these young people’s careers back on track to becoming qualifi ed electricians. One of those was companies was Edinburgh-head offi ce based AKD, which has taken on two former redundant apprentices in recent
months: Russell Cairns, who is about to start his third year, and Ciaran Corkish, who is about to go into his second year. AKD, which also has offi ces in Glasgow and Cheshire, provides commercial and residential electrical services and takes on at least two apprentices each year. It now has 20 young people in various years training to become qualifi ed electricians in each of its offi ces. Managing Director Keith Groom is
sympathetic to the plight of apprentices who have been made redundant. He said: “It’s really bad luck that these two lads have lost their jobs through no fault of their own but, fortunately, because of the continued growth in our business, we’re happy to adopt and assist them to get through their apprenticeships with us, hopefully gaining a further two fantastic electricians. “An apprenticeship is a formative part of your life and I personally enjoy seeing our apprentices develop as they come through the business. We hopefully get
to know their family and friends and we support all of them through their own trials and tribulations, as we pride ourselves on our close relationships at work – we call it the AKD family. So, everyone that comes into the business is treated like a family member and now Russell and Ciaran are part of that.” While Ciaran was introduced to
Keith by Fraser Binnie, a Training Offi cer at the Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT), Russell used LinkedIn to put the word out about job opportunities. Keith said: “Some electricians set up
a LinkedIn account to help people who had lost their jobs get in touch with potential employers. One organiser tagged me into Russell’s details. I got in touch, we had a FaceTime interview and he impressed me. “I can’t comment on Ciaran yet as he has only just started, but Russell is
Continued on page 42 >>> CABLEtalk OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020 41
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