Turnmill Engineering

Could you tell us a bit about your company? 

Everything Managed Group (EMG) is a business solutions services provider. Our focus is on delivering services to micro start-ups, SMEs and corporate customer groups (among many other areas or business types). We have been revolutionary within the waste management category with our business ‘Waste Managed’. We continue to give unparalleled service to our customer base, which is nearing 35,000 and will continue to innovate business solutions. The EMG vision revolves around the provision of business services with world-class, consumer-style customer service. 

Why did you choose to hire apprentices through Newcastle College? 

We spoke with a number of colleges in the area as we were keen to bring in apprentices. After meeting with the Newcastle College Business Development Team, we felt that Newcastle College would be the best fit for what we were looking for as we wanted an apprenticeship which covered numerous areas of the business, which is what the Business Administrator apprenticeship offers. The College has access to a number of excellent potential candidates and take pride in ensuring they match the correct apprentices with the correct employer. With the College being so local to the office, it means our apprentices aren’t having to travel too far on days in the College. Our Business Development contacts are an asset to the College and it has been great working with them.  

How have your apprentices from Newcastle College benefitted your business? 

All three of our apprentices have benefited the business in numerous ways. We have two apprentices who work on Customer Service and have become valued members of the Onboarding Team, they go from strength to strength and take on anything we offer them, development-wise. We also have another apprentice who is on our Supply Chain Team and she has also gone from strength to strength, to the extent that she is now covering her own suppliers! All our apprentices are assets to the business and prove how much an apprenticeship can benefit an individual, watching them grow and thrive within the business and how their confidence has developed.  

What advice would you give to a business considering hiring an apprentice? 

Make sure you pick the right apprenticeship provider as this is key. You want to make sure the provider takes the time to get to know your business and know what it is you are looking for and what you need - you don’t just want to go with a provider who is just going to throw anyone into the role. You need to also ensure you have the picked the correct apprenticeship for your business and that your business can match the requirements of that course. Make sure that you assign a mentor for your apprentices, because a lot of apprentices can be young and it will be their first time in the workplace. Assigning a mentor gives them the opportunity to ask any questions and discuss progression, while also helping to build their confidence. Make sure you are constantly offering training within the role they are working in, and giving your apprentices different steps to progress too: by the end of the 12-18 month placement, you want to ensure that you have upskilled them in the role they are working in. Make sure you have a clear progression path as well for them to follow so they know what the end goal is with their apprenticeship. Just be there for your apprentices and make sure you are in a position to take them on and give them the time they need to truly be their best.  

Would you recommend Newcastle College apprenticeships to other employers? If so, please state why. 

Yes, the whole process from start to finish with Newcastle College was seamless. They take time to understand our business needs and what type of candidate we are looking for. As well as ensuring they know what the business wants, they also take the time to make sure the company is right for the candidate. The full process from start to finish is great, as the Business Development Team kept us up-to-date every step of the way and also invited us along to the assessment day so we can see how the candidates interact with one another, which gives us an insight to how they would interact in our business. Over the past year, the support team at Newcastle College have constantly stayed in touch and asked how the apprentices are doing. We have loved working with Newcastle College and look forward to working with them in the future.