Company name, sector and information about your company:
Printed Cup Company
Food Packaging Manufacturer
Specialist in manufacturing short print runs in short leads of high quality paper cups, for everything from a family wedding to some of the biggest brands in the world.
Name:
Mark Woodward, Founder.
Which type of Apprenticeships do you offer?
Intermediate & advanced engineering
Intermediate warehouse
Intermediate printing
Intermediate & advanced computing
Intermediate & advanced accounting
Why did you choose to hire Apprentices?
To develop and grow employees with specialised skills within our business, and offer employment and learning opportunities for young people in our area. We work with local schools and attend career days to raise awareness of the apprenticeship opportunities available, and inform young people that there are alternative career development paths other than going to university to consider.
What benefits has your company seen from hiring Apprentices?
Hiring apprentices has enabled us to develop specific skills-sets in our workforce that will help drive our business forward.
When we first started the business, no-one in Lancashire had the requisite skills to make printed paper cups, so we knew we needed to develop a skilled workforce for our unique needs. As the business has grown,
Being the first experience of employment after school has also helped us to create great working relationships with our apprentices and employees; helping to build their confidence and knowledge through mentoring and regular feedback. Our people are our most valuable asset!
What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone thinking about becoming or hiring an apprentice?
Definitely recommend to any business. We believe it is the best thing our company did.
When we first started the business we trained people ourselves on the shop floor to print. This was partially successful, but when we hired an experienced printer we saw the benefit of their expertise and ability to train the team to a higher standard, which improved our end-products. We realised that to continue to grow the business and offer great quality products to our customers, we needed to invest in training a Print apprentice to work alongside our existing team.
Michael Pollard joined us from school on a Print apprenticeship with Manchester College. He has a natural ability for colour and attention to detail, and under the mentorship of Alan Preston (Head Printer) Michael has developed into a skilled and confident Printer, and is a valued member of our team.