Princes Risborough-based furniture manufacturer Ercol is celebrating the success of its apprenticeship program and its older workforce.
The company, which currently has 19 apprentices and has been in operation for more than 100 years, has 56% of its workforce made up of over 50s – many of whom have come through its apprenticeship programme.
Roy Greaves, Technical Support Director at Ercol, is “extremely proud” of the company’s commitment to valuing its older employees, commenting: “We rely on the skills and experience that older people bring. So much so that 56% of our employees are over 50. We also recognize Also the problems that accompany an aging workforce.
“This is the main reason we look to the Apprenticeship Program for support. A significant portion of our adult-based workforce originally came through our Apprenticeship Program (16 of our current over-50s have completed apprenticeships with Ercol) and we are proud to have them still part of the team because they are able to pass on their knowledge and experience to the next generation of Ercol workers.
One employee, Brian Snelling, began his career at Ercol with a polishing apprenticeship and has been with the company for nearly 40 years and is currently Production Manager. “When I was growing up, I had several part-time jobs around school and studied near Ercole,” he said.
“I had family and friends working at the factory, so joining Ercol seemed like the natural path for me when the then Chief Training Officer visited my school. I completed a three-year polishing apprenticeship and enjoyed the practical side of learning.
“Eager to improve my skills further, I then took an additional two-year training course in advanced polishing. 37 years later, I now belong to a family of apprentices, with my wife not only completing her apprenticeship at Ercol in the tailoring department, but All three of my children followed in our footsteps and did apprenticeships in their respective fields.
