Ultraframe says that while it is proud to have an extremely high percentage of staff that have been with the company for 20-25 years, it also places great value on bringing in new talent by offering apprenticeships and graduate trainee programmes.
Design and development director, Andrew Thomson, explained: “We are all aware of the skills shortage in our industry and Ultraframe is keen to ensure that we help to tackle this by encouraging young people to enter the glass and glazing industry through our apprenticeships and graduate trainee programmes. Aside from tackling this key issue for our sector, it also ensures that within Ultraframe we have the perfect mix of experience, coupled with fresh thinking and it is a delight to see these young people grow and flourish as they learn and develop with us.”
Apprenticeships are available across the many areas of the business, offering the opportunity to learn and develop key skills in departments such as customer first, marketing and R&D. In fact, newly-promoted marketing manager, Chloe McGrath, originally joined the business as an apprentice in the marketing department. Graduate trainees are also said to be a key recruitment focus for Ultraframe. In the last three years alone, nine graduates have reportedly joined the business in technical roles.
Andrew continued: “Graduate trainee programmes are another excellent way of attracting new talent into the business and nurturing this talent. By recruiting young people at the beginning of their careers to either earn as they learnt through apprenticeships, or know that they have a structured career progression path through a graduate trainee programme, this allows them to see the many opportunities available to them within our sector.”
Jack Whitehurst is an ETO (Engineered To Order) programmer in the IS department who joined the company three years ago as a graduate trainee. He admits that, if it wasn’t for the graduate trainee programme, he may not have considered the glazing industry for his career. Jack said: “After three years of working at Ultraframe, I am very happy that I was accepted to be a member of the IS team. Glass and glazing was an area that I never actually thought of whilst I was applying for jobs after completing my degree in mechanical engineering. However, it’s an industry that I can see myself staying within because I feel like there is a good opportunity for progression. With Ultraframe’s creativity, any apprentice or graduate trainee employed here will not be short of challenges.”
