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To kick off the series, Tiegan spoke with Sandie Jackson, Early Careers Manager at TD SYNNEX, about how apprenticeships play a vital role in their development strategy. From boosting company culture to addressing critical skills needs, Sandie provides a firsthand look at how TD SYNNEX leverages apprenticeships to drive success and shares her advice for other employers seeking similar benefits.
We have been running apprenticeships for six years now and we are at the point where, after a long learning journey, I would say they are increasingly integral for training and development at TD SYNNEX. They are now highly respected across the business and we have gradually introduced more apprenticeships. Now, we are promoting entry-level roles as well as encouraging managers to offer apprenticeships to their teams for career development.
I believe it's really good. I smile when I say it because we are in a luxurious situation where we can recruit cohorts into the business. This means that they come into the business and learn all about who we are, where they fit, and what a great place we are to work. We truly are a great place to work, and they appreciate what's on offer to them. I believe that over the past 12 months, we have observed a diverse group of individuals of all ages. It's not just young people who are coming in with a solid foundation for building their careers. For instance, if someone is interested in pursuing a career in sales, they could pursue a level 4 qualification in that specific area. Many employees are now moving into different areas of the business and team managers are recognising the value of apprenticeships and expressing interest in participating.
The process of obtaining an externally recognised qualification involves no shortcuts. If you have an internal program, you may be tempted to procrastinate and say, “I'll do that next week.” However, that's not the case with apprenticeships. I believe this is one of the most compelling aspects of undertaking an apprenticeship. You are required to learn, embed, demonstrate your abilities, and continuously improve. Even the managers are acknowledging it. Recently, I've had people who have been in the business for 20 years saying, “what's available for me?”
I think at TD SYNNEX, our culture is particularly strong because we follow our four core values [Integrity, Excellence, Collaboration, and Inclusion.] The apprentices fully embrace these values and understand what they mean in their roles. They are trained in these values while they are part of a cohort and once they join their teams, they embody the ideal behaviour we want in our business. This is especially important when we have apprentices under the age of 18, as we need to consider safeguarding measures. I've noticed that the managers and others around them also improve their courtesy, etiquette, and overall performance. It's almost like the presence of apprentices brings out the best in everyone. They want everyone to have a great experience, benefiting all.
It's a constant topic at TD SYNNEX; we have one-to-ones regularly, and we have touchpoints. They must happen, it's all in a global system. We all must ensure that we follow those guidelines and rules and have proper SMART goals. Everyone owns their career development, so they can identify their skills gaps in terms of what they want as well as what they are doing right now. So the conversation is always on the table of how we are going to improve what we need, and apprenticeships will be used to bridge those skills gaps.
I would say that apprenticeships are the way forward. I know there's a lot of talk in the press about what changes may or may not becoming, but fundamentally, what I've seen, is that apprenticeships solidify learning. They solidify the confidence of the people that we have, certainly in early careers and the ones doing career changes because they know more about the business than the people that they're sitting next to, who may have been in the business a lot longer. Because they are ticking all the right boxes that are provided within that standard of the apprenticeships and where the apprenticeships come from is derived from experts. So, it covers so many bases. Also, it does make the apprentice want to do everything well and I think that then naturally, everything else comes for them in our environment. We’re lucky, we're a big organisation, but I would still say even in a small organisation, if you had support from other people to understand any pitfalls as you're going along, I think I think everybody should try them.
TD SYNNEX’s commitment to apprenticeships showcases the value these programmes bring - not just to the individual, but to the entire business. By investing in tailored apprenticeship training, businesses can foster a culture of growth and adaptability, ensuring they’re prepared for the future.
Curious about how apprenticeships can help your organisation thrive? Get in touch to discuss tailored apprenticeship strategies that align with your goals.
Looking to tackle a business challenge? Develop and evolve employees? Enhance performance across the board? Find out more about our sales training and manager coaching courses.
Want to take advantage of the Apprenticeship Levy, or simply foster the next generation of talent? You’ll need to ensure that the curriculum is tailored to your needs and aligned with your values.
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