News

Training staff to ensure continued development
31 Mar 2022

Here at SWG we prioritise our staff. We look to invest in them as employees and as people at any given opportunity - ensuring they can thrive.

Recently some of our staff have gained new qualifications and others are steaming towards getting theirs - here they tell us how SWG has helped them and the way our company prioritises people.

 

Scott - Always learning

Scott Jones, 19 of Llansantffraid, completed level 1 and 2 plumbing courses at North Shropshire College before joining SWG Group at the start of this year. Our company is committed to not only supporting him in completing his level 3, but also to putting him through gas training once he is ready.

“When I looked at joining SWG they offered to cover me while I do training and I could get on site experience while working towards that qualification,” he said.

“It was one of the things that attracted me to the company and it has been good. I am still learning now and I can see what is being talked about in the theory side of things. I have put a lot of my learning in the class into practice already.”

 

Luke - Support

Luke Evans has gone from apprentice to qualified electrician.

The 26-year-old of Welshpool, started his apprenticeship in 2012 and had a break - but is so pleased SWG pushed him to finish the qualification.

He said: “I went straight into an apprenticeship at SWG when I finished school because I’d done work experience there and worked with them in the holidays.

“I didn’t finish my apprenticeship at first but I could do everything, I just didn’t have the ticket to say I could. SWG stood by me and pushed me to do it and they have been really supportive - I am so pleased because it has made a big difference. I can do so many more jobs and I’m even doing another course now in testing and inspecting.”

 

Chloe - Amazing help

18-year-old Chloe Evans from Abermule is a Trainee Accountant currently juggling work with studying and exams. She is completing an Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) course in conjunction with Newtown College, having started with SWG in August 2020.

She said: “I did A levels at 6th form and knew I didn’t want to go to university so an apprenticeship worked well.

“My manager is amazing at helping me, if I have any questions I can just go to her to ask and I have monthly meetings and regular comments on my performance which are really helpful. It is the best decision I have made, there are so many opportunities it can lead to, I love being at SWG.”

Chloe is working towards her level 2 now and aims to do her level 3 next year, and possibly the level 4 after that.

 

Michael - Accommodating

20-year-old Michael Peters from Broseley wants to become a Quantity Surveyor and is at Wolverhampton University doing a degree in just that two days a week.

He thought he’d apply for an assistant buyer job when it was advertised at SWG, in case it could lead to surveying. We made it work because we wanted Michael.

“They could have turned me away as there wasn’t really a role there for me and I was trying my luck, but they adapted to make it work for me,” he said.

“They have set out a plan for me and it is good to see what everybody else does. SWG is so flexible, providing software if I need it and showing me other areas of the business if I am interested.”


Dan - Experience for assignments

Daniel Dyke, 20, is doing a level 6 Degree Apprenticeship in Quantity Surveying. He lives near Welshpool, works at SWG four days a week and attends Wolverhampton University one day a week.

“It works really well because the experience at work helps the degree in the same way that the degree helps work,” he said.

“I also don’t have any fees as it’s funded through work and I can sit down with anyone and they give me their experience for assignments.

“You can be out on site one day, then in the office the next and for me, in the classroom the next.”

Dan knew he wanted to go into construction but wasn’t sure which role until he did a work experience placement to see all aspects of SWG.