We’re celebrating National Apprenticeship Week, which this year has the theme ‘Build the Future’ and aims to highlight how apprenticeships help individuals to build the skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career.
We’ve made a significant investment into apprenticeship schemes at Copart, offering our teammates the opportunity to learn new skills in areas they are interested in, gain industry recognised qualifications, and potentially progress within our business.
To date, we’re delighted to have supported the personal development of 85 teammates with a wide range of Copart Apprenticeship schemes, including Customer Service, Team Leading, LGV Driving, Vehicle Damage Assessment.
With this year’s theme ‘Build the Future’ in mind, we wanted to share a story which demonstrates how a Copart Apprenticeship scheme gave one of our teammates the skills and confidence to develop relationships and deliver results at our Sandy Operation Centre.
Jess Newcombe, Office Supervisor at Sandy, completed a Level 2 Team Leader/Supervisor Diploma in 2019, after being put forward by her manager.
“I had been Office Supervisor for around two years and was keen to progress within Copart.” Jess said. “When my name was put forward for the apprenticeship, I jumped at the chance to develop new skills and techniques to help me move up the career ladder in the future.”
In association with awarding organisation City & Guilds and Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) and supported by training provider Icon, Jess completed the training through a combination of face-to-face learning and coaching, on-site practical assessments, and written assignments and coursework.
“This apprenticeship was perfect for me as it is aimed at people who are ready to take their first step on the leadership ladder.” Jess said. “I learnt how to manage both people and projects effectively and I developed my communication and organisational skills.”
Jess found that she thrived on the practical on-the-job side of the training, where she was visited once a week by the trainer to be assessed on how she conducted meetings and presentations with her team.
“I had always hated standing up and talking to groups of people, so this approach did push me out of my comfort zone.” said Jess. “But it was a much better way of learning for me and it was a good opportunity to use the talks and presentations to induct new starters, so not only was I learning something, so were they! I soon started to build up my confidence in public speaking and feel more comfortable in that situation.”
The increased confidence Jess gained from the apprenticeship has had a significant impact on the way she performs her role at Copart. As well as helping her to speak to large groups of people, it has also changed the way she handles challenging situations.
“The apprenticeship increased my confidence massively and has helped me deal with situations which would have previously overwhelmed me.” said Jess. “I used to be unsure how to deal with conflict, but now I will react immediately and have no issues with addressing challenging situations and talking to people to get things resolved. The skills I have developed have given me the self-belief that I can manage the office effectively in the Office Manager’s absence and I have gained more respect from teammates, who have seen my leadership skills become stronger.”
Jess also believes that her new-found confidence has carried across to her personal life too and credits the apprenticeship for improving her organisational and time management skills.
“I am definitely a more organised person since completing the apprenticeship.” she explains. “I deal with situations more methodically and calmly than I did before, both inside and outside of work. If I don’t understand something, I now have the confidence to ask questions and challenge things that I think are wrong.”
In addition to completing the apprenticeship with a distinction in less than four months, Jess received a special commendation from the training provider, who selected her for an Outstanding Learner Achievement Award.
Having completed the apprenticeship, Jess is keen to explore management opportunities in the future and is already on a Personal Development Plan with Copart for an Office Manager role.
“The apprenticeship has really pushed me forward onto a career path with Copart and given me a strong desire to keep improving my skills and knowledge.” said Jess. “It’s brilliant that Copart offers progression opportunities like these to keep people challenged and motivated. I would definitely recommend apprenticeships to other teammates across the business.”
“Jess has excelled since completing her apprenticeship, gaining confidence in her ability to manage both teammates and customers. Since completing her course, Jess takes ownership and makes decisions without needing to seek reassurance from other people. She has become a stronger part of the management team at Copart and is now working towards becoming an Office Manager when the opportunity may arise.”
Lee McDonald, General Manager at Copart’s Sandy Operation Centre
We want to give all Copart teammates the opportunity to ‘Build the Future’. We’re committed to expanding our range of apprenticeship schemes and appreciate the important role they play in supporting personal development goals and providing clear career progression paths.
In December, we announced the launch of another exciting new apprenticeship at Copart – the Level 5 Operations Departmental Manager Diploma, aimed at those who manage teams, projects, or departments. We are delighted to have already signed up 9 teammates, who are keen to enhance their existing knowledge and expertise within our business.
“As Copart continues to grow, apprenticeships give us the opportunity to invest into people who are going to be the future of our business. It’s vital to keep developing the skills of our teammates in line with the ever-changing demands of our customers, and maintain a strong, multi-skilled workforce with industry recognised qualifications.”
Helen Gilbert, Head of UK Human Resources
Interested in a career with Copart? Discover more at copart.co.uk/jobs.
See more ‘Build the Future’ stories during National Apprenticeship Week on social media: #NAW2021 #BuildTheFuture
