Liniar continues to see the importance of apprenticeships

Apprenticeships are a key component of our business strategy at Liniar. We believe in a long-term, sustainable business that encourages new talent to the fenestration industry through on-the-job training and professional development.

Currently there are 9 apprentices in various roles from product design to engineering, finance and marketing, with a further 20 people still employed having completed their apprenticeship at Liniar.

Current apprentice and rising star Owen Attewell is Liniar’s Technical Support Apprentice. He joined Liniar in 2017 as the first apprentice to be welcomed to the Technical Services department. Owen has gone from strength to strength over the last 4+ years and is now coming to the end of his level 4 NVQ and HNC qualifications.

Owen says, “When I first started my apprenticeship with Liniar, I was very nervous, but I have grown in confidence and learnt that I can do lots of things that I never thought possible. I worked in lots of different departments for the first few months to get a really good understanding of the business.

“This was so good for me in two ways – firstly, when I came to start doing my job, I understood how it fitted in with the other departments, but also, I got to know people around the company. Everyone was so helpful, and kind and I never felt like I was in the way. They each went out of their way to make me feel welcome for the week I worked with them. As a result, I now know lots of people around the business to have a chat with and if I need, to ask a favour, which considering the size of Liniar, is great.”

Owen continues, “Paul Garforth (Technical Services Director) is a brilliant mentor, he supports me in every way he can and lets me discuss what I want for my career path. He wants the best for me and if that ended up with me wanting to move to a different department, he would support that. He knows that if it would be of benefit to me and the business, it would make sense.”

“I’ve had some real highlights; one that stands out is when I worked on the stand at the FIT Show. I was there to demonstrate to potential customers how to fabricate Liniar’s new Resurgence window profiles, which meant me talking to people and using machinery. I was a bit nervous, but I really enjoyed it. It gave me a lot of confidence as I was able to really show how much I knew about our products.”

Paul Garforth, Technical Services Director at Liniar comments, “Owen is the first apprentice we’ve recruited into the Technical team, which has meant the whole department are on the journey with him. Understanding how to mentor and keep Owen focused has been a real personal learning experience for me.”

Paul continues, “Owen is a real asset to the team, and I am very proud of him. Employing apprentices is a big commitment but unlike some programmes where apprentices leave the company when they’re qualified, we want all our apprentices to stay with us throughout their career and to excel. We are always looking at succession planning to ensure we have the right people that will help our business continue to grow and make Liniar a key employer of choice in Derbyshire.”

“Owen has been such a success for our department and is a valued member of our team… despite his compulsion to eat all the team’s biscuits and never making a brew! I will be looking to employ an apprentice in the future that will hopefully replicate Owen’s success.”

Read more about our apprenticeship programme here https://www.liniar.co.uk/careers/apprenticeships/ and find out what apprenticeship we are currently recruiting for.