National Apprenticeship Week

Johnsons Workwear is all geared up for our Textile Operative Apprenticeships

… we talk to Michela Degan, Learning and Development Manager for Johnsons Workwear

The thirteenth National Apprenticeship Week 2020 takes place from 3 to 9 February. National Apprenticeship Week is an annual week-long celebration of apprenticeships across England and is a time to recognise and applaud apprenticeship success stories across the country. This year, the government is encouraging the public and businesses to get behind the week, promoting this route to skilled employment alongside the huge benefits of apprenticeships to employers.

Our Learning and Development Manager Michela Degan is completely behind the campaign’s message: “Investing in apprenticeships has been great for us. We’ve had a fantastic pass rate and lots of enthusiasm from around the Johnsons Workwear business.”

During National Apprenticeship Week, we’re celebrating too by sharing the fantastic news about our latest apprenticeship scheme for textile operatives.

“Johnsons Workwear is at the industry’s helm and leading the way with this,” says Michela.

“Our year-long apprenticeship for our textile operatives is already being run at 20 sites in the north. Our employees on the scheme are being trained across all aspects of the textile services process, and in health and safety, quality and environmental standards, technology and IT, and communications and time management, together with customer impact: how everything we do can contribute to great customer service.”

“But it’s not just about making our business better, by creating a more knowledgeable, engaged and flexible team, it’s about how we can enrich our people’s experience – at work, and beyond… by multi-skilling our staff, they understand their own role, their team members’ role, and how they fit into the bigger picture of the company.”

The new Johnsons Workwear textile operatives apprenticeship is a robust Level 2 qualification that is provided by external trainers and is externally verified. It is practically based and can support staff with maths and English too. Webinars will enable employees to share best practice.

It is hoped that the apprenticeship will also help to raise the bar across the textile services sector as it has been developed by working closely with the government and is specifically designed for our industry.

“When we asked, our operational staff were keen to get involved with more training and we listened and responded to their request. This scheme is in its early stages and we’re excited to see where it goes,” concluded Michela.