Here’s the article from system training! Our innovative partnership with Eddie Stobart, which commenced last year, has seen its first cohort of logistics apprentices hit the road for the first time.
The apprentices, who are employed by Eddie Stobart, have completed a series of classroom based training workshops to ensure they have the necessary knowledge across subjects such as Health & Safety, First Aid, Traffic Planning and Warehousing.
But, crucially, the apprenticeship programme also allows learners to gain their LGV driving licence — and that benefit is one which appeals to many potential apprentices.
However, one of the key aspects of this training model is the on-the-job experience. Once our instructors have ensured the apprentices are fully prepared, Eddie Stobart driver mentors take over — accompanying the apprentices out on the road and giving them an important grounding in the ways and processes of Eddie Stobart.
Robin Brown, Chief Executive of System Training, said: “It’s great to see the partnership working so well and I believe this model will soon be repeated across the logistics industry. We all need to make changes to make the industry more accessible to young people and ensuring high standards of skills training will certainly help employers engage with the programme.”
Andrew Tinkler, Chief Executive of Stobart Group, said: “I’m a firm believer in the benefits of Apprenticeships and realise their importance in bringing more young people into the logistics industry. Our partnership with System Training is working really well and is ensuring the apprentices that come into our business are well trained and equipped with the necessary skills and vocational qualifications demanded by Eddie Stobart. Coming from a non university background I understand the benefits of gaining on-the—job experience and practical training but it’s also crucial to have a good understanding of the theory elements to be successful in business."
Paul McIntyre, an Eddie Stobart apprentice, said: "This apprenticeship has really changed my life. Jobs are so hard to come by now so this was really a dream come true for me. I always wanted to be a driver but there’s so many barriers because of my age — most companies don’t want to take on drivers under 25 because of the perceived problems. One of the biggest benefits of the apprenticeship is all of the training we receive and we gain proper qualifications that we will always be able to keep. Now we are going into the industry fully trained — it’s hard to believe how much we actually covered in the classroom but everything was very relevant to the job. One of the best things was the time we spent on the road with the Eddie Stobart mentors. We were each assigned a driver to take us out on the roads and show us the ropes and that experience is priceless.”
