In-house 'apprentice academy' aims to improve staff career path
25 Jan 2018
Drainage and water supply specialist Auger has set up its own in-house training academy to enable the company to improve staff career paths and reduce reliance on subcontractors.
Its new Auger Academy is an internal scheme aimed at supporting and developing the company’s external engineering team and aims to help new staff and assistant engineers train to become lead engineers.
Nicola Lyon, head of recruitment and staff development (pictured) at Auger, said: “The Auger Academy will help to formalise the structure we have in place and give staff a clear career path and route to becoming fully trained, more confident and giving them long term prospects in the industry.
“We have already had two engineers complete the training and we are all delighted with the results.”
Training includes assistant engineers partnering with two ‘buddies’ – senior staff – and taking industry-specific courses in topics including health and safety, confined space, patch lining, water hygiene, moling and ground scanning. Internal staff have the option to take courses in areas including management.
The company, based in Wallasey, Wirral, employs more than 100 staff including 60 engineers and in the last year it has hired 20 employees.
In order to continue to use a direct labour workforce rather than relying on sub-contractors, the apprenticeship scheme provided the best means to enable consistent quality, explained Lyon.
“Because of this approach we can be certain that our staff all have the necessary experience and qualifications to not only carry out their role properly, but to be at the leading edge of best practice in the industry.”
The academy is being supported by the launch of the Auger Hub – software which allows external staff to log in and access data, including e-learning information to track their progress.
