The successful path which Conor Smith has taken is a shining example in National Apprenticeship Week.
Over the past 30 months he has grown from shadowing qualified engineers at Donington-based security and fire specialist GBSG Ltd onto managing his own security and fire installation and maintenance projects.
When GBSG was looking to recruit security engineers following on from significant market growth, it took the decision to recruit both fully qualified and experienced engineers as well as invest in an apprenticeship scheme.
A spokesman said as a responsible employer committed to the communities it serves, it made sense to invest in an apprenticeship scheme, bringing a fresh outlook on security installation and nurturing and investing in local talent.
Working closely with Newark College, GBSG’s technical director Neil Jackson appointed Conor (pictured) as an apprentice. He started in August 2012 and last month successfully completed his apprenticeship, achieving City & Guilds Level 2 in Electronic Security and Emergency Systems.
Conor said: “The wide range of projects that I’ve worked on during my time as an apprentice has enabled me to gain broad experience and to develop as an individual.
“The mentorship I have received from Neil and the engineers has been brilliant and I’ve felt supported at each stage of my development, never being afraid to ask questions or to make suggestions.
“I’m grateful that the company has invested in additional training and have supported me to acquire my ECS [Electrotechnical Certification Scheme] and cherry picker licence.”
Conor has been promoted to operational engineer and GBSG is looking to recruit another apprentice as a result of his success.
