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Hendy launches Apprentice Ambassador programme to help address skills shortage

Hendy launches Apprentice Ambassador programme to help address skills shortage
3 min read Published 30 Oct 24

●       Will promote careers in the UK automotive sector and address critical skills shortages in key roles

●       Programme launched at annual Hendy Apprentice Day, which honours apprentices that completed training in 2024

●       Day focuses on importance of ‘adaptability and fresh thinking’ for businesses and individuals keen to succeed

Hendy Group, one of the UK’s leading independent family motor retail groups, is launching a new Apprentice Ambassador programme that will encourage more people into automotive careers and use input from apprentices to help create a world-class career pathway. The new initiative will be launched at Hendy’s Apprentice Day, being held on 31 October, which will honour the achievements of the Group’s 2024 intake of more than 50 apprentices.

Existing and newly graduated Hendy apprentices can apply to add the Apprentice Ambassador role into their existing remit. Successful candidates will be those who have exhibited adaptability throughout their training and are confident to voice an alternative way of thinking for the benefit of the wider team.

The new Apprentice Ambassador programme will involve collaboration between Hendy’s People Team and the Association of Apprentices. Together they will support the new ambassadors to increase engagement with the wider Hendy apprentice population and act on their behalf to optimise the apprentice experience. By empowering young people to fulfil their career aspirations, ambassadors can help to further establish Hendy as an employer of choice, particularly in relation to early careers.

This year, the theme for the Hendy Apprentice Day will be ‘adaptability and fresh thinking’ – key contributors to Hendy’s 165-year success – and how apprentices can engender new approaches to work that help businesses adapt and thrive.

Sarah Martyn, Director of People and Organisational Development at Hendy Group, said:

“A number of the leadership team at Hendy began as apprentices, and encouraging more young people to consider a career in automotive is now a key part of our Hendy culture. The launch of our Apprentice Ambassador role is one way Hendy can make a positive change while building a talent pipeline for the future.

“The Group welcomes the fresh insight that apprentices bring to our business, and the Apprentice Day is one of many ways we can encourage them to share ideas about how we can adapt in the future. Being able to adjust to the changing circumstances around you is crucial to success both personally and professionally; that might mean challenging your own thinking, adapting to a new team dynamic, or accommodating a wider business strategy.”

Hendy Brand Ambassador and former GB sprinter Iwan Thomas MBE will attend the Apprentice Day event at the iconic Beaulieu National Motor Museum, speaking to more than 90 delegates about the importance of flexibility and motivation in any career.