15 April 2024
Julie White, managing director of D-Drill & Sawing
Anyone who knows my attitude towards running a business will be well aware of just how much emphasis I put on training and upskilling the D-Drill & Sawing team.
We have always ensured that we bring through the next generation of operatives through our apprenticeship programme – with more than 75 per cent of the team here having undertaken an apprenticeship.
On top of that, we continue to train and offer opportunities for further qualifications right up NVQ Level 6 for some of our management team.
Much of this training, however, focuses on skills to ‘get the job done’ which, of course, is vital to everything we do.
But, for the sake of the growth of the business, it’s vitally important that members of our senior leadership team gain knowledge and understanding of what happens away from the tools.
For someone in my position, it’s crucial that I can focus on a range of elements that make the company successful. Sometimes that will be getting out there and networking and promoting the business and, also, continuing to be a voice for the industry.
My endeavours as chair of Build UK, chair of the Drilling & Sawing Association and a member of the Government’s Small Business Council are all opportunities to drive improvements for everyone doing business in construction, especially smaller contractors.
That all takes time and there are only so many hours in the day.
So, we have taken the opportunity to put two of our managers through the Help to Grow: Management Programme through Birmingham City Business School at Birmingham City University. It has been 90 per cent funded by the Government through the Small Business Charter.
Neil Wood and Chris Broadley have both taken part in the Government-supported programme in order to give them knowledge of business and management beyond the work that takes place on site.
The service we deliver to clients requires the technical skills we have all acquired and, of course, without that there isn’t a business to speak of.
Therefore, being able to give Neil and Chris this opportunity to be able to take an overview and think about business growth and support plans for the future is a really positive step for D-Drill & Sawing.
I speak to countless businesspeople where all of this falls on their shoulders or they are too busy carrying out day-to-day activities that they can never get to a position for business growth and planning to be a priority.
Too many of us work in the business rather than on it. And those working on it, often shoulder all of the burden.
So, I am delighted that we took this opportunity to put Neil and Chris through this programme and I am confident that it is going to make the business even more ripe for growth in the future.
For more information on the support go to https://helptogrow.campaign.gov.uk/
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