Apprenticeship Programme Takes Shape at PSI Global Specialist Recruitment

Apprenticeship Programme Takes Shape at PSI Global Specialist Recruitment

PSI Global Specialist Recruitment is taking part in an apprenticeship programme with Asset Training & Consultancy Ltd, giving young people local to the head office in Liverpool an opportunity to gain experience within the construction recruitment sector.

Three apprentices have been hired to work in various areas of the business to generate a well-rounded idea of the recruitment industry and what path they might want to take in their careers.

The Apprenticeship Programme

PSI Global has partnered with Merseyside based company Asset Training & Consultancy Ltd, a company that specialises in “the delivery of apprenticeships from intermediate to higher level, traineeships, commercial courses, and functional skills.” Each programme the apprentice goes through with Asset Training caters to both the employer and apprentices needs and goals. Over the years the apprenticeship company has seen an above national average achievement rate of 80-85%.

The programme is tailored for each apprentice and the role they’ve taken on. Each apprentice is assessed on their tailored programme rather than industry standards that may not be applicable to what they’re working towards. “We tailor qualifications to suit the needs of the business where the apprentice is,” said Tom Bates, Business Development Manager at Asset Training. “This is so that on and off the job training can marry up enough to ensure the learner is always engaged in learning.”

The three apprentices at PSI Global will take part in an in-depth training programme to help give them a full understanding of who the company are, who the company works with, how they operate, and what is expected of each apprentice in their new role. This takes place in the first couple of weeks, and following this they will get started with the day-to-day tasks that they will continue with throughout the programme, giving them the skills and experience needed to continue in their chosen career.

Their day-to-day tasks include assignments set by their assessor and are given opportunities to learn about how other teams work. By taking part in other projects around the office, the apprentices are getting a well-rounded look at how PSI Global works, forming part of their off the job learning. Giving the apprentices a more well-rounded view of the company gives them further opportunity to decide on their career path.

The programme is an ideal way for young professionals to learn relevant skills on the job while building experience for their CV. “I think apprenticeships are an ideal opportunity to offer young people,” said Operations Manager Sarah Ainsworth. “College and/or university isn’t for everyone, and many young people struggle to get a foot in the door because many companies want people who already have ‘x’ amount of experience. But how can people get the experience if they aren’t given the opportunities in the first place?”

Apprenticeships are also an ideal opportunity for businesses to help find what path an apprentice might decide to take in their career.

“Taking part in the apprenticeship programme as a business allows us to identify candidates that are not just suitable for the business now, but also in the future,” explained Director of Business Development Lee Austin. “It allows us to discover what further skillsets they have and if there’s another part of the business that they might thrive in. This way they don’t just have one role as a regular hire would but get to learn about a number of roles to give them a choice in what they gravitate towards for their future career.”

Meet the Apprentices

PSI Global has hired three apprentices over the last year to work with the team, two in our head office in Liverpool and one in our Plymouth office. The three roles cover database administration and recruitment administration.

Megan Parr joined our growing Industrial Services team in summer 2021 as a Recruitment Administrator. Her main task will be to help the team arrange security clearance and compliance. Her main task will be to help the team arrange security clearance and compliance. Of her start at PSI Global, Megan shared that she, “decided to join PSI Global as an apprentice because I wanted a new challenge.”

“PSI is teaching me so much about construction recruitment and how interesting it really is, the whole team has made the process into the company so easy and comfortable for me.”

Lee also oversees the Industrial Service team and quickly saw how much her hard work would benefit the team and the business as a whole. “Since she joined us, Megan has already started growing into a more senior role within the industrial services team as she quite quickly understood what we do,” he said. “In turn, we identified what skills she has and where they can be utilised.”

Working as a Database Administrator is Ryan Hughes, the first of the company’s three apprentice hires. Ryan will be working to update PSI Global’s extensive database of candidates, reaching out to applicants in the system to update their information and discuss potential opportunities with them.

“My experiences so far at PSI Global have been nothing shy of interesting,” said Ryan. “I’ve managed to learn so much in a small window, including payrolls, formal communication, and time management, though most of my time is spent doing database management.”

Ryan shared that his college was extremely helpful in finding out what he was interested in doing with his career, allowing him flexibility in where he was placed. “I decided to do an apprenticeship to put my education in computer science into practice, and what better place to put my skills to the test than in an office,” Ryan explained. “They’re constantly looking for me to expand my skillset and are always pushing me to learn more.”

The final apprentice to join our team was Jess Hitchcock in our Plymouth office. Jess joined PSI Global as a Recruitment Administrator to assist Service Delivery Consultant Yasmin Lobb and found that taking on an apprenticeship was a much better option for her than being in a classroom setting, “For me, although it is still very hard work, it’s a lot less pressurised than in a classroom setting.”

She also shared that while she had little to no experience with computers or software previously, she’s now “super confident” with both of them and is working on improving her maths skills as well.

Her manager, Yasmin, said that Jess has been doing really well so far in her apprenticeship and is continuing to learn on the job. “Jess is doing brilliant, every week she’s taking on a new task. She’s really getting her feet stuck in now.”

Apprenticeship Development at PSI Global

A 2017 survey found that 86% of employees who had taken part in an apprenticeship programme found it to be beneficial. But apprenticeships aren’t anything new to PSI Global as the company has benefited from apprenticeship development in the past.

Roughly 40% of the company’s operational employees started their recruitment careers as apprentices in either administrative or supportive roles. These employees were given opportunities to develop their careers over time and are now in senior positions such as Operations Manager and Divisional Manager.

“Our directors have always believed in providing opportunities for young people and supporting people to grow within the company,” said Sarah who herself started as an apprentice.

All of our apprentices have shared that they’ve definitely benefitted from their experiences as an apprentice so far. Jess shared that the future possibilities for her are “infinite” when she completes her apprenticeship, “I have already gained some experience in administration, and by next year I hope to be fully confident to have a job as an administrator.”

Megan echoed this and recommended an apprenticeship to anyone that wasn’t as keen on attending university. She added that taking on an apprenticeship allows you to get both work experience and qualifications to help you move forward in your career, something you wouldn’t necessarily get when studying full-time.

Looking Ahead

Following the first Covid lockdown, the construction industry has experienced a boom and the recruitment team at PSI Global has been keeping busy as a result. “All three apprentices have hit the ground running, and we’re excited to see where their journeys with PSI Global take them,” said Sarah.

For further information or comments about our apprenticeship programme, please contact our communications team at marketing@psi-gsr.com.