Case Study: Ken Jenkinson Builders Ltd
News
9th July 2010
Having been established for over 60 years as a family run construction company, Ken Jenkinson Builders Ltd undertake work on commercial, industrial and domestic building maintenance, as well as painting and decoration projects.
Jenkinson Builders have long established relationships with many organisations and businesses based in the Sheffield area, including the University of Sheffield, the Royal Hallamshire Hospital and the Sheffield Childrens Hospital, to name but a few.
Having a strong workforce with a healthy number of directly employed trades people, the business has grown from strength to strength over the years. The firm’s success is in no small part due to the forward looking approach adopted by Ken Jenkinson who, since the start, has regularly taken on construction apprentices. In fact, Ken’s first ever apprentice, Ian Grant, came via an earlier incarnation of Learning World Academies in 1986. Ian joined the firm straight from school to begin an apprenticeship as a plasterer and roofer.
Ken Jenkinson:
“We’ve taken many apprentices over the years, probably around fifty or so. Many have stayed with the business for a considerable length of time before leaving to go on to bigger and better things. A few even run their own successful businesses now, like Dean Osbourne who worked with me for 10 years before starting his own building company. I keep in touch with many of them.”
“Apprentices offer businesses a great opportunity, you can develop and mould the young people to be a key part of your business’s future. At first, we ease a new apprentice in so that they grow familiar with the way we work. Whilst at first they are doing a lot of fetching and carrying, they soon begin to grow invaluable as their skills and experience develop.”
“The best way of training for the building trade is on the job. Whilst the classroom environment is good for the basic understanding, it’s the hands-on application of that learning on a construction site that really embeds and strengthens a person’s ability and skills.”
“I’ve noticed a change in attitude over the years. Nowadays apprentices come with a great, positive attitude. They really want to learn and improve themselves. They key is ensuring they have plenty to do and plenty of opportunity to learn and try out their skills. My site supervisors, many of whom were once apprentices themselves, make sure the youngsters get to experience a wide variety of work. My team are all multi-skilled and we encourage apprentices to try their hand at different things as it will improve their employment opportunities in the future.”
“I have a good relationship with Learning World. They keep in touch and they are always sensitive to my business needs, working with me to find the most suitable candidates. The Learning World apprentices all come with a good knowledge of site health and safety. It’s all about having a good understanding of our business, and that’s something that Learning World does well.”
“We deliver a professional service; all my team adhere to a code of conduct and wear a uniform. All of the apprentices that come to us haven’t learnt any bad habits yet; allowing us to mould them into professional trade’s people.”
“I always say, by the end of your apprenticeship with me, make sure that I can’t do without you!”
Link: http://www.mylwa.co.uk/news/2010/07/09/case-study-ken-jenkinson-builders-ltd/
