101 apprentices for Glendale

National green services company, Glendale has boosted its ranks with its 101^st apprentice, as part of its commitment to developing the talents of young people across the UK.

Starting work at the firm’s Liverpool office is 16-year-old Ellie Jeffry, from Liverpool.  As well as being Glendale’s 101^st apprentice, she is also the first female apprentice at the Merseyside location.

Glendale Liverpool’s £6.8m annual contract with Liverpool City Council will run until 2018.  Under this, Glendale Liverpool is responsible for all the city’s parks, outdoor spaces, cemeteries, golf courses and football pitches.

Ellie has embarked on Glendale’s pre-apprenticeship scheme in business administration and is one of 30 young people to be based in Liverpool.

She said: “I decided to apply to Glendale’s apprenticeship programme after hearing a talk from the current HR manager about how she started in the business.  This really inspired me and showed me just how committed Glendale is to help young people get started with their careers.

“I didn’t know much about green services before I started, but am now learning something new every day and am getting plenty of hands-on experience and I’m looking forward to being able to progress onto the five-year apprenticeship scheme.”

Glendale offers two types of apprenticeship, the first being the pre-apprenticeship scheme, open to 16 and 17 year-olds who are not in employment or education.  It also offers a full five-year apprenticeship.

Each apprentice gets their own mentor and on the job practical training with experienced Glendale employees, with many also opting to undertake NVQs at the same time.  Most of those who complete their apprenticeships with Glendale remain with the firm in full-time employment, with the company having a 95% retention rate.

Across the UK Glendale offers young people the chance to undertake apprenticeships in horticulture, arboriculture, ground maintenance, fine / sports turf management, business administration, customer care, groundsmanship and tree planting.

Peter Cosgrove, general manager at Glendale Liverpool said: “Glendale has a strong belief in the abilities of young people and are extremely committed to developing the next generation of specialists within green services, and that includes our back office staff like Ellie.

“Apprenticeships are also vital in a business like ours to ensure that we plug any potential skills gaps that may arise from an ageing workforce, and make sure our team is offering the best services with fully trained staff to all our clients.”