National Apprenticeship Week at Axis

National Apprenticeship Week is an annual celebration of Britain’s apprenticeship programmes and an opportunity to mark the achievements of our apprentices here at Axis.

Here at Axis apprentices make up 10% of our workforce. As of February 2020, the number of apprentices at Axis sits at 92. We recruited a total of 27 new apprentices in 2019.

National Apprenticeship Week at Axis February 2021

During National Apprenticeship Week 2021, Axis representatives – in partnership with our clients – are attending Croydon Council 100 Apprentices in 100 Days Celebration Event, Newham College Jobs Fair and Croydon Works National Apprenticeship Week Jobs Fair. These events are an opportunity for us to promote our apprenticeship programme and to recruit tomorrow’s work force today.

Training and development at Axis

One of Axis’ core values is ‘Train and develop people, their growth becomes our growth’ – a sentiment dear to the hearts of our Founder and CEO, John Hayes, and Managing Directors Tim Hayes and Joe Ibrahim. They all  started their careers as apprentices and readily share their experience, wisdom and passion with everyone who joins our apprenticeship scheme at Axis.

“I am very proud to have started my career as an Apprentice Bricklayer, it was a great grounding for a life in construction. It is all our responsibility to pass our knowledge on to the next generation, just as we had it passed onto us by others. We all had to start somewhere and rely on experienced people to train us” –  John Hayes CEO and Founder of Axis

So, whilst we of course celebrate National Apprenticeship Week every year, we honour our Core Value all year round, placing training and development at the centre of our company culture.

Apprenticeship opportunities at Axis

We recruit for apprentices in a range of roles, including Plumbing/Gas, Electrical, Multi Trade, Painting & Decorating, Quantity Surveying and Administration. Read more about our Amazing Apprentices and Axis’ apprenticeship scheme here.

Valuing apprenticeships in 2021

Many of our executive team and senior managers here at Axis started their careers as apprentices. Here they share how they value their experiences – and some of our current apprentices talk about the highlights of their apprenticeships at Axis.

John Hayes, Axis Founder, Chairman and CEO –  I was an apprentice bricklayer. At the end of the day you could say ‘I have done a good job there and I have learned’. The learning, camaraderie and growing as a human being were all very strong for me. I can highly recommend apprenticeships. It certainly did not do me any harm.

Tim Hayes, MD Maintenance – I could not wait to leave school. I liked the independence of earning money, learning a trade, working in grown up environment learning life skills and trade skills. Given my opportunity again I would take the exact same path.

David Crampton, Operations Director –  I was very fortunate. I got mentored by two lecturers  at college who really pushed me and took me out of my comfort zone. I could understand that a lot of what they were saying was going to help me earn my living by developing my skills.

Alan Noble, Divisional Manager – At the age of 19, I was installing plumbing and heating systems on my own. It felt like an amazing achievement.

Eamon O Donnell, Divisional Manager –  I was lucky enough to be working taken under the wing of two plumbers in my apprenticeship. Thanks to them I have worked on some incredible buildings like the Duke of Wellington’s house – No1 London – the House of Lords, the House of Commons, the Royal Mint and Somerset House.

Our apprentices share the highlights of their apprenticeships

Callum Swan, Apprentice Electrician – the first time I was left on my own to do a lighting circuit – and it was all working!

Luke Wood, Apprentice Painter – helping out on various charity jobs

Francesca Fordham, Apprentice Painter  – going to South Africa and helping disadvantaged children with their education

James Hedges, Apprentice Plumber – finally getting a job and a chance to get my foot in the door

Adrian Janjeva, Apprentice Electrician – learning new skills daily and working with tenants

Bradley Vince, Apprentice Plumber – working in supported houses and care homes with vulnerable people

Ella Page, Trainee Quantity Surveyor – seeing a project through from an empty field to a fully operational Met Police site

Cameron Bonthron, Apprentice Painter  – working on a Demelza apprenticeship project helping disadvantaged kids had a safe place to learn and play