As the old saying goes…if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Simon Mallett is one man who respects that saying more than others, being the UK Operations Manager at Electrolux Professional. Responsible for Product Support at this global organisation, Electrolux Professional is the only company able to create complete, high performance kitchens combining best-in-class products with outstanding customer support. A bold statement indeed and one that no doubt gives Simon sleepless nights when managing his team and looking for his next apprentice. We caught up with Simon to see what gets him hot under the collar…

Simon, thanks for speaking to us today. So Electrolux Professional has operated an apprenticeship scheme for some time now. Why is that?

That’s right, we’ve had a number of talented young people come through the door over the years and the standard just keeps getting better and better. For us, it’s imperative that our engineers know our products inside-out because we operate to such a high standard. We could by all means simply hire a qualified and experienced engineer but we much prefer an apprenticeship which gives us the opportunity to mould fresh new talent.

So would you say that for Electrolux Professional, an apprentice is more valuable to your team than a university graduate for instance?

Yes, without a doubt. We provide an extremely bespoke service that prides itself on quality. We don’t want employees who have been taught to different standards, we much prefer to craft our own technicians and that’s the USP of an apprenticeship. University couldn’t teach what we teach them…

I suppose you look for raw talent then? Are there any specific traits that you search for over others?

At this stage in their lives it’s all about the passion to succeed and there’s plenty of it out there. It’s spotting that hunger to learn and develop. Enthusiasm is paramount but also flexibility. We certainly challenge even our most junior of apprentices so they have to be committed and thankfully all of ours are. On top of that, we have worked with EEF for 12 years and the quality of candidates they source is excellent. The apprentice and training service they offer us is second to none so we’re guaranteed the goods.

And finally, what do your apprentices go on to do after graduating?

Well we must be doing something right because most of them are still here and we’ve been taking on apprentices for over ten years now! We have a very loyal group and it’s now a workforce that we simply couldn’t replace.

Thanks for your time Simon.

Electrolux Professional is just one company reaping the rewards of an apprenticeship scheme.

If you think your company could benefit from some fresh new talent, then  get in touch with us here.