12 February 2012
D-Drill, one of the UK’s leading diamond drilling and sawing businesses, has been hailed as an example to others in the training of its future workforce as its fourth generation of apprentices have set to work.
D-Drill has 12 apprentices currently going through its training programme as well as managing director Julie White, who has also signed up to the scheme.
Of the current workforce, 45 per cent have come up through the ranks as apprentices, including Stuart Gould – the new manager of the company’s office in Coventry.
Gould was asked to represent the entire Diamond Drilling & Sawing industry at the recent National Specialist Contractors Council (NSCC) Annual Lunch to highlight D-Drill’s commitment to training and apprenticeships.
Suzannah Nichol MBE, of the NSCC, said: “D-Drill’s dedication to creating and training the future workforce deserves great praise.
“Apprentices and new entrants are the future for our industry, particularly specialist contractors.
“The number of apprentices employed by D-Drill and the quality of the training and experience delivered is impressive and demonstrates how businesses of all sizes can invest in their future.”
White believes the level of training has had a positive impact on the whole business and said Gould was leading a new generation of apprentices.
She said: “My father believed in apprentices and I have carried that forward since taking over the business. Stuart was an apprentice of mine and, now, he is taking on apprentices of his own.
“It’s absolutely the right thing to do to ensure we have the next generation of skilled people in the industry but the knock-on effect is high-quality service for our customers.
“In a survey with customers, 93 per cent rate our skills and knowledge as either very good or excellent.
“We’ve seen a rise in profit and a 20 per cent increase in market share. I am sure that these strong figures are helped by our firm commitment to take on and train apprentices. That is all coupled with the recent recognition of the platinum CSCS card standard award for exemplary safety on site and further highlights our training ethic.
“What’s more, neither D-Drill nor any other company in the industry will be able to survive in the future if we don’t have trained personnel. So there is no option other than to invest in our current and future workforce.”
Apprentice turned manager, Gould added: “I have not only had a considerable amount of time and money invested in my development, but the whole team at D-Drill embrace the apprenticeship scheme and have mentored me along the way. I have successfully completed an NVQ 2 and have been rewarded by D-Drill for my efforts.”
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