Categories Apprenticeships

Apprentice Day

Anyone following JGF Electrical on LinkedIn will have seen us showcasing our brilliant Apprentices – applause – thank you. If you know JGF, you’ll know how highly praised, trained, valued, engaged and incorporated our Apprentices are. Whether you are a small business or large and growing, your Apprentices today, make our futures tomorrow.

Apprentices who work together, stay together. Harry was the first of our Apprentices to complete his Apprenticeship and continues his career as a fully qualified and worthy Electrician with JGF.

We asked Harry a few questions to see how he is progressing within JGF Electrical. (In his own words):

  • What do you like about working for JGF? “I like working for JGF as whenever I’m unsure about something I always get the help and assistance needed to progress”.
  • What does your apprenticeship mean to you? “I feel privileged to have an apprenticeship as it is my future”.
  • What is your favourite task to perform at work? “My favourite task is probably changing light fittings as I quite enjoy it, and also being taught new things as it helps expand my knowledge”.
  • What is your favourite tool? “Favourite tool is probably continuity testers”.

Well, that was back then. Last week we were delighted Harry accepted a full-time position as an Electrical Engineer with the Team at JGF. He passed his exams in exemplary manner and continues to wear the JGF brand with pride.

If there is just one word that reflects our Apprentice strategy, it is: INCLUSION.

A JGF Apprentice is an Apprentice, certainly not cheap labour. If you haven’t done so, click the ABOUT page on the menu to see WHY, where Joe (MD) started, how important his mentoring by his Granddad was and his own Apprenticeship became.

All Apprentices have a full-on introduction to the business before being fitted with full company PPE and livery – no second best. Regular Apprentice Days take them off site and into the unit for a structured day of basic training. We have just moved, and the new site hasn’t had the Apprentice Pods fitted yet, but soon will.

Training continues off site as well as on the job, real jobs supervised by senior Electrical Engineers. Training is varied, including lots of H&S delivered by our bespoke H&S Practitioner, Michelle, including – safety harness checking and wearing, LOTO, PPE rules, regulations and priorities, First Aid and much more.

Yes, there’s lots of technical stuff, but we also want to train the mind, helping a basic school leaver find their personality and develop interactive skills so necessary in a Team such as TEAM JGF.

Inclusion goes so far as to include them in our popular AGMs, where they have a pounds and shillings, nuts and bolts, interactive insight to the business they are so very much part of.

Training is structured (as is everything at JGF). When you make an L in the summer and an E in the winter, and your harness training is re-visited, and the rumour of MEWP training echoes around the palatial heights of the new premises – well, you begin to wonder what Joe has in mind…

All training starts with the basics. MEWP training begins with the User Manual – we don’t just switch on and go. Rules say the Banksman should be able to handle the MEWP manually, from below, overriding problems above and getting his colleague down safely … so we practice it.

And finally, the training comes together as the jigsaw takes form.

New premises? An E? An L? Working at height training? Brand pride?

Everything comes together at Team JGF.

Author Rodney Bashford
Categories Apprenticeships

Job? Tech? University? Apprenticeship?

Making such a decision depends on individual circumstances, preferences, career goals, learning styles, and above all – ambition.

You may think getting straight into work is the way for you. Cash in your hand, fuel in the car, decent threads, and the open road ahead. But, without qualifications, the cash is short-term, and career opportunities are practically nothing.  

Technical College. Good plan. It shows you have professional intentions, starting on the first run of the career path to the industry.

University. You get better jobs. Well, perhaps once upon a time you might, but that’s not the case now. You want to run your own Electrical Installation business one day soon, so need a broader academic education and diverse career options. But, so much teaching in on-line, costly, without structure, and leaves you with a huge personal debt even before you begin an actual career.

Apprenticeships. Apprenticeships offer specialised, structured, work-based training and early career experience. You get paid to learn, dovetailing Technical College tuition with on-the-job experience, finishing with 3 to 4 years’ experience and a fantastic career.

Earn to Learn.

PLUS. If the company giving you the chance to begin an excellent career in Electronics Installation truly believes in you and the future you can develop in partnership (you / employer / college), you begin your working life in very good hands.

That’s our approach to the apprenticeships we structure and the real opportunities for career development right here, within Team JGF.

We shout about the industry and the value of careers within it – all starting with an apprenticeship here. (Read more HERE.)

Getting out and about in Kent to talk opportunities, STEM and Apprenticeships to schools as part of their Career Fairs is a platform we preach from, introducing youngsters in the region such opportunities ahead. We have been overwhelmed, not just by the interest schools have shown, but by the heartfelt interest received by the students themselves.

After a 3xStep interview process, offer and acceptance, a JGF Apprentice begin with a full day’s introduction to the company, it’s ethics, processes, people, brand, objectives, college interaction – in fact everything they need to know, whether they realise they need to know it (being recent school leavers) or not.

Their basic skills are tested in our apprentice booths and rate from zero to 10 (10 still being basic but with unexpected skill).

Unlike many apprentice schemes, ours are not fetchers and carriers, they are immediately part of the team, in fully PPE, and teamed up with experiences electricians.

The only operational restrictions are age-based, some fast-moving, high-tech distribution industry clients having 18+ rules – but there are plenty of other unrestricted operations to work in.

In our new premises, we have room to expand. Room to house our own stock of essential materials to enable us to act quickly for emergency call outs. There’s room for extended offices, which are the next phase of development.

There has also been room for 4 new Apprentice Training Bays, designed and build by the apprentices themselves, under the supervision of senior electricians and Project Managers.

WHY?

What happens on the job and what is taught in college often run down separate paths. By having monthly Apprentice Days and Apprentice Training Bays, we get back to basics, closing the gap between ‘college and coalface’.

As you see, our ‘coalface’ is many and varied. We enjoy a variety of clients with many different disciplines being addresses across the board.

Because of the variety, we take Health & Safety very seriously. Specialist training and toolbox talks are given for each of the many situations, and therefore risks, our people may face during the course of a day’s work.

Apprentices are very mush included here. Many organisations treat them differently and there will be training, briefings, development presentations for different levels of employee.

Not here. Inclusion gives a young person insight into the broader business decisions and the way they are tackled by their seniors. This is crucial to build awareness, broaden minds, and cultivate team maturity – personal assets you’ll find in few places elsewhere.

If this is the life for you – learn, earn, train, and develop your life and career skills with us. Click Contact Us at the top of the page and attach your CV as well as a few key points about you, you think we’d like to hear.

Author Rodney Bashford
Categories Apprenticeships

ALLL – About the Next Generation

We are getting out and about in Kent to talk opportunities, STEM and Apprenticeships to schools as part of their Career Fairs. This is our first venture of this kind and we have been overwhelmed, not just by the interest schools have shown, but by the heartfelt interest received by the students themselves.

Why do we bother ?

Simple, because these are our next generation of business leaders, politicians, industrialists, decision makers and we want to do everything we can to help them understand even our tiny part of ‘the real world’.

It’s a big step from school to job or further education; from employment to career development; and from management to leadership.

Joe Forsyth (MD, JGF Electrical): “My Grandad was my mentor. He guided me into this incredible world of electronics. He encouraged me to take up an Apprenticeship – and not ‘just to turn up’, but to learn and soak up every ounce of learning that was to become my skill. His was the grounding in me that we hope to instil in others.”

STEM

Back to scholarly basics and the values of STEM as school subjects – science, technology, engineering and maths. They are unpleasant basics to some, but essential if you want to throw that switch and watch the machines of British Industry turn.

We asked Isabelle Haigh, former Head of Operations, National Grid and friend of science, technology and the values of women in industry, what she felt about this initiative. She said: “Being the first female engineer in the control room 30 years ago was quite daunting at the time, but I was delighted to be doing a job that I loved, and in a great National Grid environment too.”

STEM, STEAM & ALLL

We asked Isabelle about the importance of STEM in schools and, despite her pure Science & Engineering qualifications, she added the ‘A’ in the acronym for Arts.

STEM focuses explicitly on the hard scientific, technological, engineering, or mathematical skills to drive progress or create a new concept. In STEAM, students employ both hard and soft skills to solve problems.

Isabelle says: “I would encourage anyone who is curious, likes to solve problems and enjoys the sense of achievement that comes with ‘creating things’, to consider a career in engineering. Apprenticeships are a fantastic opportunity to learn and develop skills needed for a successful career whilst being paid! What a great opportunity that I wish had been available when I was doing my training.”

Apprenticeship opportunities are open to practically all, in all commercial and engineering disciplines. Focusing on the Electrical Industry – think about it … you put your order in to Amazon and it arrives the next day – HOW?

Well, join us and find out but, knowledge and skill are literally only half the battle. A good Apprenticeship will teach you about YOU.

It will develop your personality and channel your human skills into project work, operating and interacting as a team. For some, that’s a massive step, a leap across a scary chasm between school and work.

ALLL

A good Apprenticeship (combining you, your college and your employer) will help you manage those steps and become a better person for doing so.

We have developed our own acronym, which covers those early days of your Apprenticeship out there on the front line – ALLL.

  • Ask – and you will be told.
  • Look – and you will see.
  • Listen – and you will hear.
  • Learn – and you will achieve.

It’s not rocket science – but of course it could be.

The opportunities are enormous, the stars could well be yours.

ALLL – see, hear, achieve.

Author Rodney Bashford
Categories Apprenticeships

National Apprentice Week

Anyone following JGF Electrical on LinkedIn will have seen us showcasing four brilliant Apprentices – applause – thank you. Now, here they are together. If you know JGF, you will know how highly praised, trained, valued and incorporated our Apprentices are. Whether you are a small business or large and growing, your Apprentices today, make our futures tomorrow.

We began National Apprenticeship Week 2023 by introducing one of our second year apprentices – Harry.
We asked Harry a few questions to see how he is progressing within JGF Electrical. (In his / their own words):

❓ What do you like about working for JGF?
“I like working for JGF as whenever I’m unsure about something I always get the help and assistance needed to progress”

❓What does your apprenticeship mean to you?
“I feel privileged to have an apprenticeship as it is my future”

❓What is your favourite task to perform at work?
“My favourite task is probably changing light fittings as I quite enjoy it, and also being taught new things as it helps expand my knowledge”

❓What is your favourite tool?
“Favourite tool is probably continuity testers”.

For the second day of NAW week we wanted to introduce Harvey who is also a second year apprentice.
We asked Harvey a few questions to see how he is progressing within JGF Electrical.

❓ What do you like about working for JGF?
“I like that the electricians are always trying to make us become better apprentices by showing us little tricks on how to complete a task”

❓What does your apprenticeship mean to you?
“My apprenticeship means a lot to me because I enjoy what I do and I want to be able to become qualified and work my way up in the ranks in the future”

❓What is your favourite task to perform at work?
“My favourite task at work at the moment is any task I haven’t done much of because there’s a lot to learn. I do really enjoy testing and learning about what to look out for when on site”

❓What is your favourite tool?
“My favourite tool is definitely the cable strippers because I discovered it can actually strip 10mm cable making the task so much easier. They save loads of time on site”.

For the third day of NAW week we introduced Daniel (Dan) who is a first year apprentice.
We asked Dan a few questions to see how he is progressing within JGF Electrical.

❓ What do you like about working for JGF?
“The people I work with have lots of enthusiasm and take pride in their work they are great to work with. I also like the variety of jobs we do at JGF”

❓What does your apprenticeship mean to you?
“The apprenticeship means a lot to me. I can work while I learn which is really beneficial to me because Im a hands on person”

❓What is your favourite task to perform at work?
“My favourite task at work is to terminate and dress cables because I like to see how neat and tidy I can get them”

❓What is your favourite tool?
“My favourite tool would be my KNIPEX Ergo strip as where I work we use a lot of flex and this tool makes it so easy to work with.

Last, but by no means least, meet Drew who is a third year apprentice here at JGF.
We asked Drew a few questions to see how he is progressing within the company.

❓ What do you like about working for JGF?
“What I like about JGF The Variety of work I get to do some days we are in a factory the next day in a multi million pound property, and the endless help my supervisors and managers are giving me the whole way throughout my apprenticeship.”

❓What does your apprenticeship mean to you?
“What does my apprenticeship mean to me, to be the best electrician I can be and have a life long career to help other people and my self reach my dreams.”

❓What is your favourite task to perform at work?
“Second fixing, Fuse boards , installing expensive / decorative wiring accessories and Rako Controls Ltd I love getting involved in the intelligent lighting.

❓What is your favourite tool?
“Impact driver”.

Thank you all.

Author Rodney Bashford
Categories Apprenticeships

JGF Apprentice Days

In an earlier blog about Electrical Apprenticeships, we spoke of ‘The Knowledge Gap’. That is the often gaping hole between what’s covered in college and what is conducted in practice. If not the theory, then the practical application of methodology now, as opposed to the theory when the syllabus was written way back when.

Apprentice Values

We take Apprenticeships seriously as those who follow our story will know.

As we say on the Home Page – “As Investors in People, we recognise that our ‘people’ are our ‘assets’. Quality comes through training and opportunities through our Apprenticeships. On-the-job learning and upskilling both in the unit and on site, develop not just their electrical skills, but core values such as team working, service ethic and analytical thinking”.

A recent Leadership Team Meeting set out our medium and longer term Apprenticeship Policy. Firstly, to increase the number of both technical and commercial apprentice positions in line with targeted growth benchmarks. And secondly, to implement monthly Apprentice Days.

Apprentice Days

These are already successful days for our Technical Apprentices under the guidance of Richard Banks. The guys stand down from their normal busy days to gather at the unit for a schedule of tasks and challenges set for the day.

In his own words Rich said: “The idea is to give the apprentices some one-to-one, hands-on tutoring, be it techy stuff or manual grafting.”

One of the Apprentice Days’ challenges was to install some sockets in the stores area above a bench, along with a wall mounted laptop bracket. It was a practical and necessary task to assist stock taking.

As with any job, planning is key – ’fail to plan, plan to fail’. So, Rich initiated a discussion to see what they felt about the job and how to approach it. Even a small job has so many things that can go wrong so take nothing for granted and set about planning each with the same detail and urgency.

Like this:

  • What is required? (client led info)
  • What materials are required?
  • What tooling is required?
  • How will we conduct the installation?

Hands On

(Rich again) We decided to install a section of 3 compartment dado trunking above the existing bench, which we would install 3 x double sockets. Now this may not seem much of a job, but trust me, if you haven’t worked with 3 compartment trunking, it can be interesting to say the least.

mastering a tape measure must have changed over the years!

A common theme was developing as much time was taken just measuring and cutting. This still seems to be alien to the lads – mastering a tape measure must have changed over the years!

Lunch, as anywhere, is an important part of the day. Again, small things are so important and should not be taken for granted. Rich tasks the guys to agree what’s required, prepare the order, and place it for delivery at 1.00. ‘Teamwork for the tum’.

Dan, Harry, Drew, Harvey (Lunch!)

The Q&As over lunch are a crucial part of the day. The general banter ‘on the job’ is turned to more focused discussion about college, home life, sport (teamwork) and wellbeing.

Mental Health & Wellbeing in the workplace are issues we take seriously, so encouraging our youngsters to get used to talking and listening to others is a covert part of a bigger picture.

Back to Work

(Back to you Rich) It was good practice to have the bench mitre saw set up, highlighting the importance of correct PPE.

We also spent some good time on cable selection, showing how we select cable size, installation methods and so on – a great introduction to the tables in our bible BS 7671.

By the end of the day, we had a laptop bracket & trunking on the wall, sockets installed and working What’s more, all fingers intact having let them loose on the 110V mitre saw after further H&S considerations were discussed and implemented as always.

Confidence

Each Apprentice Day builds further confidence, both for their relationship with each other and their general interaction with management. Sure, we all work together on the shop floor – out on the job, but when you move the scenario to a more formal situation, we all react, learn and interact differently.

This is a great exercise, and continues to be for all involved.

Author Rodney Bashford
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