Member Article

101 up - Liverpool apprenticeship tops the century for Glendale

Glendale Liverpool, which maintains the city’s green spaces on behalf of the council, has appointed its first female apprentice.

16-year-old Ellie Jeffry becomes the 101st apprentice to be taken on by the company in the UK, as part of its commitment to developing the talents of young people.

Ellie has embarked on Glendale’s pre-apprenticeship scheme in business administration and is one of 30 young people to be based in Liverpool, helping the firm manage all of the city’s parks, outdoor spaces, cemeteries, golf courses and football pitches.

She said: “I decided to apply to Glendale’s apprenticeship programme after hearing a talk from the current HR manager about how she started in the business. This really inspired me, and showed me just how committed Glendale is to helping young people get started with their careers.

“I didn’t know much about green services before I started, but am now learning something new every day and am getting plenty of hands on experience and I’m looking forward to being able to progress onto the five year apprenticeship scheme.”

Glendale offers two types of apprenticeship, the first being the pre-apprenticeship scheme, open to 16 and 17 year-olds who are not in employment or education. It also offers a full five year apprenticeship.

Each apprentice gets their own mentor and on the job practical training with experienced Glendale employees, with many also opting to undertake NVQs at the same time. Most of those who complete their apprenticeships with Glendale remain with the firm in full time employment, with the company having a 95% retention rate.

Across the UK, Glendale offers youngsters the chance to undertake apprenticeships in horticulture, arboriculture, ground maintenance, fine / sports turf management, business administration, customer care, groundsmanship and tree planting.

Peter Cosgrove, general manager at Glendale Liverpool said: “Glendale has a strong belief in the abilities of young people and are extremely committed to developing the next generation of specialists within green services, and that includes our back office staff like Ellie.

“Apprenticeships are also vital in a business like ours to ensure that we plug any potential skills gaps that may arise from an aging workforce, and make sure our team is offering the best services with fully trained staff to all our clients.”

Councillor Nick Small, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet member for employment, enterprise and skills, added: “I am delighted that Glendale, one of our key partners, are giving young people the chance to take the first step on to the employment ladder.

“It is absolutely vital we don’t end up with a lost generation of teenagers who aren’t given the opportunity to achieve their potential.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .