Member Article

The 49-year-old apprentice proves it’s never too late to start a new career

A former product development manager in Birmingham has taken on an apprenticeship at the age of 49 – proving it’s never too late to learn new skills.

Steve Young worked in the Epos/cashless payment sector since leaving school and worked through the ranks before being made product development manager. However, after 29 years at the same company, he was made redundant in April last year, forcing a career change.

It was thanks to a former colleague, who contacted him on the business networking website LinkedIn, that he was introduced to Birmingham-based independent electronic security system JM Security Systems, who took him on as a trainee security installations engineer.

He is one of six apprentices going through rigorous, three-year training programmes that will lead to nationally recognised qualifications for security systems engineers.

“I have learned, and I am still learning, all manner of new skills that are associated with the service and installation of Intruder and CCTV systems that JM supplies and maintains,” he said.

“I’d never have thought about taking on an apprenticeship at my age, but it’s been great. I enjoy the independence and freedom my role as a security systems engineer gives me and I feel I can grow and achieve more as time goes on.

“I’m proud to be part of a growing company that does have a great work ethos, family values and structured training programme. The support is always on hand both from colleagues and management, should I need to call on it.”

JM Security Systems, based in Summer Lane, says the dynamics of its business has changed positively since taking on its first apprentice 15 months ago.

Mary Vadaie, business development manager for the commercial security sector experts, said: “Like other companies in the security installation sector, we struggled to find well-qualified engineers, so training our own to our exacting standards was the ideal solution.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by AM Ross .