‘A Day in the Life of’ Job Swap for Rixonway

Published by Elizabeth Pokorny for Rixonway Kitchens Limited in Housing and also in Communities

To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week across theUK, Rixonway Kitchens has given one of its oldest and newest apprentices an opportunity to taste each other’s roles as part of a job swap programme.  

The swap has given Operations Director, Nick Greenall a back to floor experience and Calum Gardiner, an apprentice engineer at Rixonway, an opportunity to find out what his future could hold within the company.

Nick, who began his career as an apprentice engineer 35 years ago, introduced Calum to a range of production and distribution meetings which gave him the chance to see and understand what happens first hand behind the scenes at Rixonway, which provided Calum with a new appreciation of just what goes into keeping all departments running smoothly.

Calum, an apprentice engineer, is usually responsible for the repairs and preventative maintenance of production machinery in the factory.

Calum, 16, who has been an apprentice at Rixonway for 9 months, said: “It was really interesting seeing how Nick runs the business from his side, and definitely showed me what opportunities there are if I keep working hard. At the moment I really enjoy my hands on role as an apprentice engineer and the opportunity Rixonway have given me to learn a trade.”

Nick Greenall, said: “The day has been a real success, I have really enjoyed having Calum with me and showing him a side of the company he doesn’t normally see. It has given us both a better understanding of the challenges we both face, and I’m excited to be working with Calum in his role later in the week.”

Rixonway Kitchens is a Yorkshire and the Humber Apprenticeship Ambassador for the National Apprenticeship Service and is committed to promoting the key benefits to businesses across the region.

The company currently employs five apprentices, all from the local area, in a variety of roles within the business including accountancy, administration, warehouse management, distribution, engineering and transport.

Paul Rose, Chief Executive of Rixonway Kitchens, said: “We have always supported apprentices at Rixonway and have seen great benefits from employing them. Rixonway Kitchens is committed to providing opportunities for 16-24 year olds, and experience has shown us that apprentices tend to be eager, motivated, flexible and loyal to the company that have invested in them.”

The event is part of the sixth annual National Apprenticeship Week, which takes place from 11-15 March 2013, and is designed to highlight the positive impact apprentices have on businesses and individuals.