As The Shore Group grows, we continue to develop the career pathways within the Group for skills development and promotions. One of the benefits of our growth is that our career paths are more varied than ever, with options to move between functions, divisions and skillsets.
We recruit into The Shore Group at all levels as new opportunities arise. And for the last eight years, we’ve been proud supporters of apprenticeship schemes.
We currently have a total of 7 apprentices undertaking a variety of schemes across the Group. From recruitment resourcing to marketing, and software development to customer services, our apprentices not only learn on the job, but also undertake a comprehensive apprenticeship training programme. This training equips them with essential skills and knowledge to secure permanent roles within the business at the end of their placement.
It’s been a successful approach, with 12 of our current team graduating from apprentice placements. Or to look at it another way, 15% of our team have come through our apprentice training scheme.
What makes it work for us?
Learning in a safe, non-threatening environment is a great way to develop skills especially at the start of your career. We pair our apprentices up with experienced colleagues as they learn the skills they need in their roles and build their confidence over a 12 –15 month period.
People have different learning styles, and an academic route is great for some people, but it's not for everyone by a longshot. We’ve created a fun, open and flexible environment and I think that suits apprentices and the way they like to work and learn.
Because of the number of apprentices we take on, they’ve also got a great community of peers who totally understand what being an apprentice is like, the good points and where the challenges are. It wasn’t planned but it’s really powerful.”
Lewis Yorke-Johnson
Finding Your Calling
We help our apprentices choose the right roles for their skills and career plans when they join. This isn’t always as straightforward as it sounds – did you know what you wanted to do in your first job?
And so we’ve found that building an element of flexibility in is better for the apprentice and for our team. A number of our apprentices have joined in one role and then switched to a different function or division where we see that their skillset is better suited elsewhere.
I always advise apprentices to spend some time to pick the right route for them, but don't be afraid if it's not a perfect fit. We're not scared if they change path, because there's so many opportunities within The Shore Group now and we can flex to help them find the one that matches their potential.
We’ve found that apprentice roles are one of the best pipelines to recruit into some of our key roles within the Group within the Recruitment division. Our recruitment apprentices get a strong grounding in the basics of recruitment, something that isn’t always possible in the high-pressure role of sales environments. Apprentices learn everything from job filling, candidate management and client relationship management.
“It’s a great environment for people if they’re a little unsure what career they want. Take recruitment for example. Not that many people set out to be a recruitment consultant from day 1. And so a recruitment apprenticeship provides a great platform for those that know that uni isn’t the route for them and want to learn in a fast-paced dynamic environment instead.
APPRENTICE INSIGHTS
JOSH BOYCE
Josh was our very first apprentice and started with us in 2014 when he was 17 years old. Under the wing of one of our most entrepreneurial and demanding consultants, Josh learned his craft on the job. A baptism of fire, he helped to run an extremely busy construction desk in our Kent office.
Josh is now one of our most successful managers running and growing his own division, including training his own apprentice graduate (who’s also recently been promoted to Senior Consultant).
OWEN WHITWELL
Owen started his journey with The Shore Group as a Business Service Apprentice, studying a Level 3 diploma in creative and digital. After 12 months of hard work in this role, Owen decided to switch his role and focus on IT, entering The Shore Group team as a full time IT trainee and office support. Roll forward a few years, Owen has been a manager in the IT and Infrastructure team.
Owen has tried and tested several roles since his apprenticeship at The Shore Group, but has since found his calling within the IT team, showing that just because you start your apprenticeship in a certain role, doesn’t mean you will be within that industry for the rest of your career.
CAITLIN ROBERTS
Caitlin joined us as a Business Administration Apprentice for a year in 2018. Our team recognized Caitlin’s dedication to her role and after receiving a distinction in her Apprenticeship, we offered Caitlin a full-time job as an Administrator Credit Controller in our Finance Team.
Caitlin’s top tip, “To just keep going! Although it can be hard to stay motivated, in the long run it is very much worth it.”
FREYA NORSE
Freya started her Level 2 Customer Service apprenticeship in 2020 working in our Retail Division. During her apprenticeship, Freya experienced the different areas of work within the Retail Division, including resource planning, recruitment and payroll until I found an area which suited her skills.
A year later, having achieved a distinction, Freya now supports both Payroll and the resource planning teams.
Not only did the apprenticeship develop Freya’s skills, it also improved her knowledge and confidence working with colleagues in the office and on client sites. The Retail Division have since taken on a further two apprentices, which has allowed Freya to share her experience and support them in their roles.