John, owner of Aylesbury vehicle maintenance and bodywork specialist TP Smart Repairs, puts apprentices at the heart of his company and strongly believes the firm would not be the thriving business it is today without them. 

Feeling that university wasn’t quite right for Isaac, he began to explore the apprenticeship option as the idea of ‘earning and learning’ was something that sparked his interest- particularly as he preferred to put theory into practice.

At school, apprenticeships didn’t get much of a mention. Most students at Kathryn’s sixth form went to university – UCAS application sessions were built into the curriculum and left little room for much else. Not knowing what she wanted to do exactly, she chose to study her favourite subject, Philosophy, and applied to some universities too.

Nathan has been at Ercol Furniture for four years. He started by doing work experience and is now a paid table maker for the company. Nathan shares his experience of mentoring an apprentice. Ercol Operations Director Ian Peers talks about the benefits of their work experience placements.