FEATURES Apprentices
BY HAJERA BLAGG
Mum’sthe word! Apprentices at Babcock Devonport are 100 per cent Unite.
The secret to this success? Speak to the parents… Apprentices working for engineering firm Babcock at Devonport Dockyard are bucking the trend of declining union membership among young people in a big way – this year they achieved a remarkable 100 per cent sign up rate.
it’s his decision and it’s not something that would affect his parents.”
Achieving this goal came after a concerted recruitment drive which has seen more and more apprentices join each and every year. Megan Love, 22 (second left), joined Unite in the first year of her apprenticeship in 2013 and has since become actively involved in the union, as an apprentice rep and a health and safety and general workplace rep.
“I think the key to our success is really word of mouth and having parents’ support,” she told uniteWORKS. “If you’ve got people’s parents who view the union favourably then they are much more likely to join.”
We had one apprentice whose family wasn’t keen on the union and didn’t want him to join,” Megan added. “But we were able to convince him by telling him that
Unite rep Louie Thorne, 24 (second right), also joined the union in his first year as an apprentice and later became a rep. He believes Unite’s recruitment success comes down to the time that reps, especially the younger ones, spend with the apprentices.
“We put in a lot of face time at the college and at the site. Being younger, I think the apprentices can relate to us well and so are keen to join the union when they see the level of support you get. They can call us if they have any problem, whether at home or in work.”
Louis Edwards, 23, is in the first year of his apprenticeship and for him, joining the union was a no-brainer.
“I wanted to have a say in my workplace and the union provides that,” he said.
Unite site convenor John Bennett attributed the union’s success with apprentices to the good relations they have with the company.
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“We are given the opportunity to introduce the union and the work we do to apprentices and their parents, which makes a big difference.”
Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner (pictured below) welcomed the 82 new apprentices – all now Unite members – and presented them with a union toolbox in February.
“With over 400 now under apprenticeship, the work that Unite reps have done on site to support, represent and work with our apprentices has been fantastic – without them we would not have achieved the 100 per cent sign up rate.
“These young apprentices are starting a journey into work with a leading company in a fantastic industry, developing world- class skills that will secure them work in decent, well-paid, unionised jobs. “They have made a great start by choosing to be part of the Unite family.”
Unite family – Steve Turner with reps Megan Love, Louie Thorne and apprentices
29 uniteWORKS Spring 2018
Guy Newman
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