Apprenticeships prove productive at P and G

Procter and Gamble has developed a thriving apprenticeship programme at its Manchester plant which has operated in partnership with local training specialist Alliance Learning for over 20 years.

Procter and Gamble is the name behind some of the world's most famous household brands that touch the lives of people around the globe two billion times a day.

Its 65-acre Manchester site is the manufacturing base for leading paper and nappy products, as part of a colossal operation that spans over 50 countries.

Personal mastery, a desire to be the best and continuous product innovation are some of the key philosophies at the heart of the company's global success where staff welfare, training and career development are high on the agenda.

As part of these fundamental philosophies, the Trafford Park-based plant has developed a thriving apprenticeship programme which has operated in partnership with local training specialist Alliance Learning for over 20 years.

Currently four youngsters are progressing through three-year courses, studying for NVQ Level 3 qualifications in Electrical Engineering - including 21-year-old Anthony Holt who is on the road to a prosperous long-term career.

Holt, from Reddish says his apprenticeship is a stepping stone to success, combining on-the-job training with a wage and an effective career development programme.

He said: "When I Ieft school I did not really know what I was going to do but I was influenced by my uncle who is a field engineer and he suggested I should become an electrician".

"My careers advisor said electrical engineering may be a more lucrative option and I was eventually taken on by a local company but after 15 months it folded and I found myself out of work".

"I found another job but it was tedious and boring and not really what I was looking for".

"Eventually I got a job here which I was really chuffed about after sending in my CV on four separate occasions".

"It's a great company to work for and since joining as an apprentice I have never looked back".

"I have been here two and a half years and in September I hope to become a fully qualified electrical engineer upon completion of my NVQ Level 3".

"I study here four to five hours per week with assistance from my Alliance Learning, Learning Development Officer, Paul Fletcher".

"He has been brilliant and gives me a tremendous amount of support and guidance".

Holt is currently an Apprentice Electrical Engineer working in production line maintenance.

He has moved around various departments and has also completed his Key Skills and several other useful courses with Alliance Learning, a charitable organisation managed by a group of member companies which provides vocational training and support for businesses and local people.

Complementing a HQ at Horwich are satellite centres in the town centres of Bolton, Radcliffe and Leigh.

So impressed has Holt been with his apprenticeship that his brother is now following in his footsteps by embarking on the same career pathway.

"I would recommend an apprenticeship to anyone", he pointed out.

"You get paid while you are learning on the job".

"There is plenty of high quality training and most importantly it provides the platform for a long term career, especially with a world leader such as P and G".

Many of Holt's predecessors have already climbed the career ladder which illustrates the large number of opportunities available.

Eric Pickup is one former apprentice who is now P and G Site Facilities Manager who oversees the whole apprenticeship programme.

He explained: "Staff training is absolutely critical".

"The essence of P and G is our people and the values by which we all live".

"Many of our staff cite that the reason they continue to work for the company is due to the people they work with and the opportunities and quality of training available".

"Our 'promote from within' culture means that we place great emphasis on learning and development".

He continued: "It is very difficult to recruit external people who have the necessary skills to immediately work on our technology so we need to invest and train people ourselves".

"In addition, by taking young people into our programmes they grow within the culture of the company and mature in line with our philosophies and principles".

"We expect people to take responsibility and teamwork is another important area".

"Recruiting people from school, they are naturally raw and it can be a bit of a shock adjusting to a work environment".

"On completion of an apprenticeship programme they are as skilled as an external adult tradesman who has had 12 months training with us".

P and G has worked with Alliance Learning for over 20 years as part of a close and productive relationship, as Pickup added: "Their Learning Development Officer Paul Fletcher is a superb and very knowledgeable site assessor on the NVQs and general apprenticeships".

"He keeps us up to speed with developments in various training programmes".

"I also prefer assessments from an external body because if you do too much self assessment you are not really getting a true measure of where you are compared to the outside world and other industries and companies".

"So far we have never released any apprentices".

"When we recruit them at 16 our projected requirements tend to fall into place".

"I am quite proud about this".

"This is due to the quality of training and planning ahead".

"We don't lose anyone".

"All the recruits follow a two year full time education sponsorship programme to get a national diploma prior to the three year NVQ course".

Pickup added: "Both myself and the lads have a great deal of respect for Alliance Learning and Paul in particular".

"He sits down with me at regular intervals, we plan things 12 months in advance and everything runs smoothly".

"He provides very important feedback about how the apprentices are performing and identifying any weak points".

Pickup views the apprenticeship programme as an integral part of P and G's ongoing learning development programme that ensures they have employees of the highest calibre.

He pointed out: "We still recruit adult workers direct which complements our apprentice programme".

"We have many former apprentices who have climbed the career ladder".

"One lad has been out to a plant in South Africa and I am a former apprentice myself".

"I firmly believe in our apprenticeship programme and always have done".

The high quality apprentice programme has been recognised on a national level with work hailed as best practice, as Pickup concluded: "Portfolios produced by the trainees were recently recognised by Adult Learning Inspectorate assessors as being best in practice which endorses the quality of the hard work which individuals put in and also demonstrates the prosperous partnership between ourselves and Alliance Learning".

Alliance Learning's Chief Executive, David Guthrie said there are over 800 young people currently training with the organisation in the Greater Manchester area, working with 390 local companies.

He commented: "We specialise in apprenticeships and commercial training courses and enjoy a very productive working relationship with P and G which has ensured a constant stream of high quality workers over many years".

"Anthony has proved that by embarking on an apprenticeship he is on the platform for a very successful career".

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