Morecrofts reflect on apprenticeship success

Investing in the next generation and helping to nurture and develop the skills they need to be successful is crucial to the continual development of the construction sector. Apprenticeships, in particular, are bridging the skills gap and have long been a valuable route into the industry.

Morecrofts’ Owners and Directors – Jared Mitchell, Nick Morecroft, Mick Phipps and John Smith – all started apprenticeships at 16 and have gone on to fill leadership positions. Continuing this legacy, Morecrofts has since welcomed and supported apprentices in almost every year of its 18-year history.

From investing time, money, and effort to providing essential hands-on training, we believe the benefits far outweigh the costs and are proud of the significant role we can play in the development of passionate young talent into qualified electricians.

Illustrated by Tom, George and Will (pictured above), our current team are a testament to the potential of this route to industry:

Tom Swindell (left), 33, started as an apprentice with us straight after leaving school 16 years ago. Since then, Tom has progressed through the ranks to become a Contracts Manager and is now responsible for managing electrical installation projects with values up to £2.0 million.

George Evans (middle), 22, started with us after leaving school in 2015 and is now a qualified electrician. George has already started to take on site supervisory roles on electrical installation projects throughout England – his next career step will see him take on the role of a Senior Site Manager.

Will Allsop (right), 18, joined us in 2019 also straight from school. Will is now halfway through his apprenticeship and can see the potential for this career path going forward.

It’s fantastic to see Tom, George and Will progressing from 16-year-olds into excellent engineers. They showcase how the sky really is the limit for those who work hard, are capable, motivated and ambitious, and are interested in furthering their careers in the industry.

Those who move from apprentices to newly qualified electricians can earn over £35K a year, can go on to earn over £50K depending on what they would like to achieve, and also have the potential to move into an office-based estimating, design or contract management role during their career.

With our ongoing success down to a fantastic team of committed staff, we strongly believe in attracting and developing talented young people. It’s our aim to promote in-house and enable that talent to fulfil their potential at Morecrofts. The progression of our directors from 16-year-old apprentices (back in the day) to growing a company that’s approaching £17 million turnover and operating throughout England on high quality projects is a clear indication of what apprentices can achieve!