Spotlight On… Operational Apprenticeships: On A Site – Severn Trent

So What Is An Apprenticeship?

Darren: “So it’s a real job with hands on experience and training and you’ll gain this through off the job training and training at the academy. So at Severn Trent out apprentices receive a permanent contract above the living wage salary and access to all of our lifestyle benefits, so you’re treated the same as any Severn Trent employee. We have lots of different apprenticeships on offer and they take between 1 and 5 years to complete depending on your level and occupation but it’s at least a year that it must last.”

Spotlight On… Alex – Why Severn Trent?

Alex: “I think the apprenticeship with Severn Trent… As long as you put the effort in and you pass all of your qualifications you’re guaranteed a job at the end. You get the same benefits as every other employee, especially if you’re younger like me and want to go and buy a house. Everyone gets a bonus each year and again, apprentices get the same bonus as anyone else. If you’re ambitious and want to get on in life, you can progress through the ranks. There’s quite a few examples of people that have started off as an apprentice with Severn Trent and gone on to be managers. I like the apprenticeship because it allows me to use my ability to solve problems, you meet lots of different people and a lot of people in Severn Trent will always give up time to help you because they care, it’s like a family. You learn skills that don’t fade away, that you can always take to new jobs. Mistakes are never a bad thing, it’s a learning opportunity – people will be the best because they make mistakes and learn from that.”

A Bit About The Selection Process

Darren: “So once you put in your application form, you’ll be invited to an online assessment and that’ll be a numerical and verbal reasoning test. If you’re successful in these tests then you will be invited to an assessment centre and that’s when you’ll go through a group activity, there’ll be a presentation and some competency based questions and that’s how we assess our candidates. So we’re looking for potential and that’s one of the key drivers in our selection process. So its not all about attainment it’s about potential and whether you will fit in with our purpose and values whether you resonate with those yourself and whether you’ve got the drive to work with our business and really put in what you can.”