Apprenticeships at Karbon Homes are more than just a job. They’re an opportunity to invest in your future, with training, support and a great community that can all combine to help you develop a long lasting career.
Our two newest apprentices, Ollie Porter from Prudhoe and Will Kidman from Ovingham, see their apprenticeships as a big first step on their career journeys.
Ollie, an Apprentice Heating Engineer believes Karbon is a great company to work for, “You don’t get put under pressure. As long as you do your work and don’t mess around you can just get on. It’s such a stress-free environment.”
Will, an Apprentice Plasterer agreed: “I live in a Karbon home and I’ve had chats with people who’ve worked at Karbon for 50 years. They both spoke really highly of it. They both started as apprentices and developed their careers over that time. That really appealed to me.”
Ollie and Will have both known each other since they were young and both knew that they wanted to get into trades roles.
“I was looking everywhere,” said Ollie, “A friend of mine working for a plumbing parts company told me about the apprenticeships at Karbon and it sounded perfect for me.”
A love of art in school inspired Will to become a plasterer “I enjoy doing it. It’s not just putting a finish on a wall, it’s more hands on and you get to create something. There’s also the pride you feel from getting the work done, helping other Karbon customers to get what they want from their home. You get to make them happy.”
“Being a Karbon customer really helps with the role,” said Ollie. “You know how you’d want to be treated if you were having that work done so you have that empathy which means you take pride in your work and treat customers’ homes with respect.”
There managers Brian Foreman, and John Hepworth see the apprenticeship roles as a long term investment in both Ollie and Will’s careers as well as the future of Karbon.
“We wanted to grow an in-house team,” said John. “It’s hard to get trade staff so we wanted to bring apprentices in so we can train them up and future proof Karbon.”
“We’ve got quite a few guys who are looking to retire over the next few years,” added Brian. “Being able to bring in apprentices like Ollie and Will, teach them from a young age and pass on the experience of the older work force is a great way to invest in the future.”
For John, it was the first time he’d recruited an apprentice:
“They don’t really have the experience so it’s more about recruiting them based on their desire and personality, how they are going to fit in with the team, how willing they are to learn and grow and how you can help them.”
“They’ve both settled in well with the team,” said Brian. “They’ll both be starting their college courses soon which they’ll be able to do alongside the apprenticeship. It’s going to give them the chance to develop new skills and open lots of opportunities for them within Karbon.”
Two Karbon colleagues who have demonstrated just what an apprenticeship can do for your career are Toni Major and Jay Brennan. Both recently got full time roles at Karbon as Joiners.
“Being able to earn and learn whilst gaining hands on experience on the job was so beneficial,” said Jay “We were massively supported by Karbon and our college as well, it really helped get a better understanding of what’s needed from you and how to do your role.”
“The support from my manager, John and colleagues was great,” added Toni “Not just on the joinery side but on the mental side as well. If I was getting stressed on the job, they would support me as much as I needed and make sure I understood everything. It gave me a massive boost of confidence.”
Both Toni and Jay were thrilled when they found out they’d managed to get full time roles at Karbon.
“I was ecstatic,” said Jay “I was so happy and excited to be kept on and continue working with the team that I’ve basically learned nearly everything off in the past two years. They’re not just colleagues, it’s a real team that’s nice to be part of. I come to work and I feel excited.”
“It’s also about being financially stable,” said Toni. “I’ve got two kids and the house so having this job really helps with that.”
“I’m over the moon for both of them,” said their manager, John. “They’re both good genuine people and it’s been a pleasure to see them grow over the last two years. The worked so hard to get where they are and I’m really proud of them.”
Both Jay and Toni would highly recommend becoming an apprentice:
“There’s a lot of benefits working for Karbon,” said Jay “There’s open days where you get to meet everyone new to the company so you don’t feel like you’ve been thrown in at the deep end. There’s also a colleague conference every year where you get to see everybody. It’s not just constant work; it’s more of a community. Everyone takes care of each other and looks after each other.”
Toni agrees “It's like one big Karbon family. We both did two years of joinery before as full time courses and you don't learn anywhere nearly the amount you learn when you're on the job. You’re also supported with learning the health and safety aspects of the role so you get a full insight into the job.”
“Confidence as well,” Jay added. “I feel like when you're an apprentice you’re give the time to get to know the job and the people you work with and that gives you the confidence and independence to feel capable of doing the role. You can go and work on a kitchen and then when you finish it you feel a sense of accomplishment, seeing that’s it’s finished and it’s up to a standard where you think ‘I'm getting good at this’.
Toni and Jay’s experience shows that there’s a bright future for Ollie and Will too. Both are looking forward to seeing where their apprenticeships take them.
“I’ve been enjoying working with team,” said Ollie. “I’ve been able to learn something new every day and that’s what I love about it. Being able to learn from people who’ve had 30 plus years’ experience is something you can’t buy.”
“I feel honoured to have been given this opportunity,” said Will. “To know they’ve picked me and want to give me the chance to prove myself is amazing. They’ve taken a massive leap of faith in taking us on and we want to return that favour.”
You can find out more about apprenticeships at Karbon by visiting our web page.
Apprenticeships at Karbon Homes are more than just a job. They’re an opportunity to invest in your future, with training, support and a great community that can all combine to help you develop a long lasting career.
Our two newest apprentices, Ollie Porter from Prudhoe and Will Kidman from Ovingham, see their apprenticeships as a big first step on their career journeys.
Ollie, an Apprentice Heating Engineer believes Karbon is a great company to work for, “You don’t get put under pressure. As long as you do your work and don’t mess around you can just get on. It’s such a stress-free environment.”
Will, an Apprentice Plasterer agreed: “I live in a Karbon home and I’ve had chats with people who’ve worked at Karbon for 50 years. They both spoke really highly of it. They both started as apprentices and developed their careers over that time. That really appealed to me.”
Ollie and Will have both known each other since they were young and both knew that they wanted to get into trades roles.
“I was looking everywhere,” said Ollie, “A friend of mine working for a plumbing parts company told me about the apprenticeships at Karbon and it sounded perfect for me.”
A love of art in school inspired Will to become a plasterer “I enjoy doing it. It’s not just putting a finish on a wall, it’s more hands on and you get to create something. There’s also the pride you feel from getting the work done, helping other Karbon customers to get what they want from their home. You get to make them happy.”
“Being a Karbon customer really helps with the role,” said Ollie. “You know how you’d want to be treated if you were having that work done so you have that empathy which means you take pride in your work and treat customers’ homes with respect.”
There managers Brian Foreman, and John Hepworth see the apprenticeship roles as a long term investment in both Ollie and Will’s careers as well as the future of Karbon.
“We wanted to grow an in-house team,” said John. “It’s hard to get trade staff so we wanted to bring apprentices in so we can train them up and future proof Karbon.”
“We’ve got quite a few guys who are looking to retire over the next few years,” added Brian. “Being able to bring in apprentices like Ollie and Will, teach them from a young age and pass on the experience of the older work force is a great way to invest in the future.”
For John, it was the first time he’d recruited an apprentice:
“They don’t really have the experience so it’s more about recruiting them based on their desire and personality, how they are going to fit in with the team, how willing they are to learn and grow and how you can help them.”
“They’ve both settled in well with the team,” said Brian. “They’ll both be starting their college courses soon which they’ll be able to do alongside the apprenticeship. It’s going to give them the chance to develop new skills and open lots of opportunities for them within Karbon.”
Two Karbon colleagues who have demonstrated just what an apprenticeship can do for your career are Toni Major and Jay Brennan. Both recently got full time roles at Karbon as Joiners.
“Being able to earn and learn whilst gaining hands on experience on the job was so beneficial,” said Jay “We were massively supported by Karbon and our college as well, it really helped get a better understanding of what’s needed from you and how to do your role.”
“The support from my manager, John and colleagues was great,” added Toni “Not just on the joinery side but on the mental side as well. If I was getting stressed on the job, they would support me as much as I needed and make sure I understood everything. It gave me a massive boost of confidence.”
Both Toni and Jay were thrilled when they found out they’d managed to get full time roles at Karbon.
“I was ecstatic,” said Jay “I was so happy and excited to be kept on and continue working with the team that I’ve basically learned nearly everything off in the past two years. They’re not just colleagues, it’s a real team that’s nice to be part of. I come to work and I feel excited.”
“It’s also about being financially stable,” said Toni. “I’ve got two kids and the house so having this job really helps with that.”
“I’m over the moon for both of them,” said their manager, John. “They’re both good genuine people and it’s been a pleasure to see them grow over the last two years. The worked so hard to get where they are and I’m really proud of them.”
Both Jay and Toni would highly recommend becoming an apprentice:
“There’s a lot of benefits working for Karbon,” said Jay “There’s open days where you get to meet everyone new to the company so you don’t feel like you’ve been thrown in at the deep end. There’s also a colleague conference every year where you get to see everybody. It’s not just constant work; it’s more of a community. Everyone takes care of each other and looks after each other.”
Toni agrees “It's like one big Karbon family. We both did two years of joinery before as full time courses and you don't learn anywhere nearly the amount you learn when you're on the job. You’re also supported with learning the health and safety aspects of the role so you get a full insight into the job.”
“Confidence as well,” Jay added. “I feel like when you're an apprentice you’re give the time to get to know the job and the people you work with and that gives you the confidence and independence to feel capable of doing the role. You can go and work on a kitchen and then when you finish it you feel a sense of accomplishment, seeing that’s it’s finished and it’s up to a standard where you think ‘I'm getting good at this’.
Toni and Jay’s experience shows that there’s a bright future for Ollie and Will too. Both are looking forward to seeing where their apprenticeships take them.
“I’ve been enjoying working with team,” said Ollie. “I’ve been able to learn something new every day and that’s what I love about it. Being able to learn from people who’ve had 30 plus years’ experience is something you can’t buy.”
“I feel honoured to have been given this opportunity,” said Will. “To know they’ve picked me and want to give me the chance to prove myself is amazing. They’ve taken a massive leap of faith in taking us on and we want to return that favour.”
You can find out more about apprenticeships at Karbon by visiting our web page.
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