Oliveti benefits from adding apprentices to workforce

Oliveti Group is one of the Midlands' leading construction companies, and is passionate about engaging with and nurturing new talent in the construction industry. The company believes that supporting apprenticeships is a key part of building a skilled and sustainable workforce for the future.

Talking about the importance of apprenticeships, Gareth Smith, Director at Oliveti Group says: “Hiring apprentices is something that we've always done. Both me and my managing director come from a trade background. I was a bricklaying apprentice and he was a joiner.

“From a young age, we've grown the company to what it is today, and we always had a passion about bringing the next generation into the industry.

Growing with the business

Gareth continues: “One of the biggest benefits of having apprentices in the team is that we can teach them from a young age with quite a diverse company. We do a lot of different work for different clients, so this gives the apprentices a good understanding of the variety required. Hopefully, they can grow and evolve with the needs of our business.

“We've always has a good collaboration with Leicester College, with regular discussions around development, where we can help the apprentice and sometimes, where we need them to improve in certain areas. We do also go into the College for career talks and to give advice from a contractor's perspective on what we need. It's always been taken really well by the College and students.”

What does Oliveti look for in an apprentice?

“When we’re looking for a potential apprentice, it's generally somebody that shows desire, a willingness to do well, strong communication skills, and a good attitude towards work. We always say to the younger students, it's just attitude, really. If we can see that there's an attitude and a willingness to learn, we can do the rest with them. But without that, we will struggle. And the ones that generally have a good career with Oliveti are the ones that have the attitude from the outset, really,” suggests Gareth.

“Apprentices have had a massive impact on our business. We've got three or four really good examples of apprentices that are now in their thirties, working for us in senior positions. Going back to myself and other people in senior positions, we've all taken these opportunities and worked our way through to the positions that we're in today. But to allow the company and the

industry to evolve, we need younger people doing the same, so we're fortunate to have three or four really good students that have turned into really big assets for the business.

Apprentices help with the future of the industry

Gareth adds: “We collaborate a lot with framework contractors and other employers, and my advice is that without us all doing our bit, we won't have the next generation coming through in our industry or other industries. So, I feel that we all have a role to play and it's something we're really passionate about.”