Clare Haughey MSP
Clare Haughey MSP
Clare Haughey, Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Rutherglen Constituency, visited our Rutherglen Ford/Fiat branch today to mark the beginning of Scottish Apprenticeship Week.
Scottish Apprenticeship Week celebrates the opportunities and benefits that Modern Apprenticeships can bring to businesses, individuals and the economy.
Clare Haughey MSP chatted to some of our apprentices and received a tour of the branch’s workshop, parts department and showroom.
Speaking of the visit, Clare said,
‘I am pleased to be visiting Arnold Clark at the start of Modern Apprenticeship Week. Arnold Clark has provided thousands of modern apprenticeships over the past ten years and are to be commended for their commitment to the development of skills in the automotive industry. I would encourage all businesses to think about how their business could benefit from taking on an apprentice.’
Arnold Clark’s apprenticeship programme offers young people the chance to earn while they learn, gaining valuable work experience and a recognised qualification.
Suzanne Sherry, Apprentice Recruitment Manager at Arnold Clark, commented:
‘Arnold Clark is a huge believer in giving young people the opportunity to develop their skills and increase their career prospects. We feel it’s important that apprentices are recognised for the work that they do and we were honoured to receive a visit from Clare Haughey MSP at our Rutherglen branch, to see first hand how well they are all doing in their training.’
Arnold Clark’s apprenticeships are split between its learning facilities at GTG Training, and on-the-job training in a branch workshop.
Ian Taylor, Group Operations Manager at GTG Training, added:
‘The apprentices continuously work hard to ensure they have the knowledge and skills that will benefit their careers and I am very proud to see them thriving in a real-life working environment.’
The quality of training that apprentices receive at GTG Training is clear to see when they get into the workshop and begin helping out at the branch. In fact, Barry Johnston, Service Manager at Rutherglen Ford/Fiat, said that the apprentices he has at the branch are ‘invaluable to the business.’
At Rutherglen Ford/Fiat, there are several apprentices at different stages of their programme working alongside fully trained technicians and master technicians.
For Kyle Campbell, who is in his first year, his main focus is bringing what he has learnt at GTG Training into the workshop and continuing to hone his skills.
Ryan Dunn, on the other hand, has almost finished his apprenticeship, and is due to qualify later this year. Speaking about his experience, Ryan praised the supportive nature of the programme, for allowing apprentices to learn together and develop their skills alongside experts in a friendly environment.
‘Everyone’s supportive,’ he said, ‘you’re not just left to go and do everything by yourself; we’re all here to help each other out. With the resources we have, you’re helped with anything you need. Just put your hand up and there’ll be someone ready to give you an answer.’
‘There are a lot of guys in here with different specialities, which is really interesting, and as this branch is a dual franchise, you learn about the two manufacturers together. It’s really inspiring – I’m looking forward to becoming fully qualified and taking this as far as I can.’
As part of a huge recruitment drive, Arnold Clark has committed to recruiting 270 new apprentices this summer. Think you’ve got what it takes to make a career in the automotive industry? Hit the button below for more information.
