Attracting young, talented people is a huge challenge throughout construction and its related industries.
In fact, it’s thought we’ll need an extra 225,000 in the sector by 2027 according to the Construction Skills Network – and that’s not just out on site, but behind the scenes as well.
At industry software specialists Windowlink, they’ve been doing their bit over the last two years by taking on James Coates, an apprentice through Gloucestershire College.
However, as Managing Director Mark Dudley is keen to stress, his company has benefitted just as much as James has from learning on the job with Windowlink.
“In the relatively short time he’s been with us, James has become an integral part of the Windowlink team.
“Joining at what was an extremely unusual time in the middle of a global pandemic, James nevertheless quickly settled in, and was soon having a huge positive impact on our business.
“Nothing phases him, he’s excellent with our customers, and is always very keen to learn. When his apprenticeship officially finishes later this year, we’ll be offering him a full-time job with us!
“I’d strongly encourage any company in our sector to consider hiring an apprentice.
James’s responsibilities include providing customers with software support and onboarding new users.
James comments: “I’ve loved working at Windowlink over the last two years. It’s a very relaxed, encouraging environment, and the team have been really supportive.
“I’ve spent a lot of time teaching our customers how to use our software, and helping them with any enquiries, but I’ve particularly enjoyed learning from them, too – they’ve taught me a huge amount about the glazing sector, which has helped us support them better.”
For more information, visit www.windowlink.com, email info@windowlink.com, or call 01452 348575.