GBS Joinery has celebrated running its apprenticeship scheme continuously in association with Stockport College for 25 years.
The Stockport company was started in a garage by managing director Nigel Hockin. He took on his first apprentice, David Lamb, three years later and has continued with the training programme ever since, recruiting one apprentice every year. Mr Lamb stayed with the business and is now a partner and heads the workshop team.
Mr Hockin said that GBS had always “had a strong belief in vocational training and passing on traditional skills to young people”.
“I did my City & Guilds at Stockport College and I want our people to have the same opportunity and to learn the skills and knowledge I did,” he said.
Following the three-year City & Guilds course, GBS apprentices go on to traditional “improver training”, becoming fully-fledged bench joiners two years later, generally at the age of 21.
Besides Mr Lamb, who Mr Hockin said would take over the business when he steps down, other apprentices have stayed with the business long term. Joiners Andy Duckworth, Craig Howard and Tom Roberts have now been with GBS 12, eight and three years respectively.
Mr Hockin said that the commitment to training had also benefited the company, which produces and installs bespoke timber windows and doors and specialises in reproducing designs for older properties, including listed buildings.
“We make specialist products and have our own processes, methodologies and materials,” he said. “Taking on older employees, it is difficult to instill these things into them, but by training our own people, we can make sure they become conversant with them from the outset.”
GBS is now busy, but went through a tough time in the depths of the recession.
“In fact, last year we did hesitate about taking on an apprenticeship, but with support from Stockport College, including a small ‘restart’ grant – the first we’ve ever taken to support apprentice training – we did go ahead,” said Mr Hockin. “And business is now good.”
