Blogy

The Power of Apprenticeships

Chris Dolby, Senior Director, HR, Talent and Learning  |  Únor 10, 2023

We’re celebrating National Apprenticeship Week in the UK by shining a spotlight on our own apprenticeships. We launched our first official programme almost 10 years ago, allowing us to recruit new talent and offer development opportunities for our existing team members.

Throughout the country we have more than 1,000 apprentices honing their skills in our warehouses and offices, learning how to succeed in such fields as logistics planning and operations, leadership, continuous improvement, business administration, human resources, finance and information technology. Last year, our programmes earned us a spot among the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers.

One of the ways we set our apprenticeships apart is by working with renowned external providers, such as our degree apprenticeship with Sheffield Hallam University, to design bespoke paths for recruits. These address the needs and ambitions of apprentices and ensure we’re developing the right skills for our teams throughout the UK.

For example, more than a third of our apprentices have come to GXO through our partnership with Barnsley College. Over the past five years, we have partnered with the College to design and develop apprenticeships that educate and develop apprentices in the classroom as well as in the workplace. We encourage them to gain hands-on experience in a GXO facility, where they can become familiar with operations such as stock replenishment, packing and quality checks.

After our apprentices complete their training in the warehouse, they can participate in our bespoke shadowing programme, which invites them to observe full-time GXO team members in a variety of roles in the logistics industry — from finance and human resources to training and operations. In May 2022, we enhanced the apprenticeship programme further by launching an Academy with Barnsley College that offers a base for the academic training element.

Our apprentices appreciate the opportunity not just to develop in‑demand skills, but also to forge a path to full-time employment — earning while they learn. The value to apprentices and businesses is reflected in the programmes’ growing popularity. According to the UK government, over 610,000 people 19 years old and above participated in apprenticeships in 2022, 3.3% more than in the previous year. At GXO, we plan to further increase the number of apprenticeships in our business.

I’m proud that so many of the graduates from our apprenticeship programmes have gone on to secure full-time positions at GXO. I’ve seen first-hand the power of apprenticeships — it’s the power of investing in learning, training and development to create a robust pipeline of talent with the potential to become our future leaders.