Laura Kedward, Learning and Development Business Partner at EMR
As EMR adapts to a changing business landscape, the skills and experience required from its employees are also starting to change.
For Laura Kedward, Learning and Development Business Partner at EMR, this has put renewed focus on the ways in which apprenticeships help to develop colleagues at EMR. Apprenticeships can upskill both new recruits and established members of the team with decades of experience who are searching for the next challenge in their career.
“Apprenticeships are an essential part of our wider business strategy, so much so that EMR has introduced its own apprenticeship programmes for the metal recycling industry,” she explains.
As this year’s National Apprenticeship Week (7 – 13 February) arrives, it’s worth focusing on what EMR looks for in an apprentice and why it can be the right choice for anyone looking to enrich their career.
The first thing to note, Laura says, is that the offer of an apprenticeship is not automatic, nor is it always the right option for everyone:
“We don’t go with the approach of ‘Do you want to do an apprenticeship?’. It’s more about learning what opportunities somebody might want to explore in their working life. If an apprenticeship is part of that, then it is one option in our wider arsenal of options for career development.”
Apprenticeships are also not about tying a colleague down to a single career path, Laura says:
“Careers can be ‘wavy’ and, because we’re a large group with many departments and divisions, staff can gain new experiences without necessarily having a linear plan for the roles available to them at the business.”
The post-COVID landscape is making apprenticeships an increasingly attractive option both to employers in need of skilled staff and to employees who are looking to progress.
And apprentices are needed now more than ever. “Now the economy is ramping back up, the UK has a skills shortage and a job market with a huge number of vacancies. Suddenly we risk being under resourced and apprentices are stepping into that place,” Laura says.
By working with colleagues who show the commitment and passion required to undertake an apprenticeship, EMR is able to build a pool of “sustainable talent” in what would otherwise be difficult circumstances, she adds.
With a need for apprentices to hit the ground running, EMR’s site-based mentors are available throughout the process to answer questions and offer guidance. “We make sure there is a mentor or coach available wherever an apprentice is based so that the coach can add real value to their apprenticeship experience” Laura says.
EMR offers a range of programmes which are tailored to the needs of the business – from those specific to the metal recycling industry, to areas such as HR, transport and even property management. Laura says this allows apprentices to immediately apply what they learn in a real-world context:
“We give a lot of responsibilities to our apprentices because, at the end of the day, this will be a skilled job and they are developing expertise in a crucial element of the industry. They’re not sitting there, watching from the sidelines”.
This means the bar is set high before a candidate is considered ready to begin an apprenticeship programme, Laura adds:
“What EMR needs is people with passion who are always asking what they can learn from difficult scenarios.
“It is these colleagues – and we are lucky to have many of them in the business – who prove themselves worthy of the significant investment EMR puts into its apprenticeship programme.”
But what do EMR’s apprentices have to say?
“I arrived at EMR at 18, straight after school, and my Business Administration apprenticeship gave me a really useful grounding in what’s expected when you work for a large company like EMR.
“The programme included gaining skills such as writing a business-like email, organising team meetings and understanding the financial side of the company.
“What I learnt allowed me to progress through the business and, almost five years on, I have now started my second apprenticeship.
“This time it’s at a higher level and will enable me to reach my goal of becoming a business partner at EMR. I’m now learning more about the strategic side of working for EMR and gaining the skills needed to take on more responsibility and to develop new leadership qualities.
