Accessibility Channel Islands
Payslips Daisy Benefits Accident reporting E-learning
search

Search
search
close
make an enquiry
menu-open-icon
menu-close-icon
search
search
close
Contact Us
make an enquiry

Tag: apprenticeships

Flourishing apprenticeships!

Posted on by Ian Adams

At the turn of the year, we featured some lovely stories profiling our growing band of Q3 apprentices.

Six months on, and we thought it would be great to look back on their progress, and some of the success stories, as well as seeing where our apprenticeship programme is heading next.

Paul Courtney completed his level 5 CIPD Associated diploma in People Management and is now embarking on a Level 3 Payroll Administration apprenticeship through Kiwi training in Southampton.

Fabio Goncalves who transferred from our Chelsea Harbour contract to be Assistant Contract Manager on our Salesforce contract, is embarking on the Level 4 FM apprenticeship, IWFM.

Waving the flag for equality, we also have, Annie Simkin, Compliance Manager and Emma Sheridan from our contract at The Square, Camberley, who are also both taking on the same apprenticeship qualification. Edona Lushja, Contract Support at Chelsea Harbour is undertaking her Level 3 FM apprenticeship, IWFM.

In the next few weeks, we’ll be talking to more of our apprentices about their personal development journeys through the FM landscape – stay tuned!

Joe Trodd – apprentice of the month!

Posted on by Ian Adams

Q3 is dedicated to developing and expanding its apprenticeship programme because the benefits are self-evident when you hear of success stories like our very own Joe Trodd. Apprenticeships provide us with the workforce and managers of the future, equipping individuals across all disciplines with the skills to develop their careers and futureproof the evolution of the organisation.

Fabio and Joe Trodd, working at Q3, shaking their hands.

Fabio Goncalves (L) with Joe Trodd (R)

So, congratulations then to Joe Trodd, who has just been awarded “Apprentice of the Month” by Q3’s training provider.

Joe is an apprentice engineer working on our Salesforce contract and dedicates one day a week, pursuing the academic aspects of his Level 3 building services maintenance qualification.

He has been making fantastic progress as his tutor, Dave Moore, of Choice Training Ltd explains, “Joe has been doing well throughout his entire time on the course. He always tries hard and puts in 110% effort into everything he does. He is very thorough with his work and likes to understand everything that he is doing.

“Joe has handed in two job reports for his onsite evidence folder so far, and they are two of the best reports we have ever seen. Joe is also one of the politest students I have worked with, and I love the attitude he has towards his education.”

His manager, Fabio Goncalves echoes these compliments. “We are delighted that Joe has been awarded ‘Apprentice of the Month’. Throughout his apprenticeship, Joe has shown outstanding dedication and skill, plus a proactive attitude to applying everything he has learned from his course to numerous projects and onsite work. His contributions have included assisting with work on Plate Heat Exchangers (PHEs), Mechanical Low-Temperature Hot Water systems (LTHWs), and tap installs, among many other tasks, showcasing his versatility and commitment.

“Joe is constantly expanding his knowledge of mechanical systems through diligent research. His eagerness to learn is evident in the way he consistently asks questions and seeks guidance from the lead engineer. Joe also takes full advantage of opportunities to shadow and learn from specialist contractors when they are onsite.

“Joe, your dedication, curiosity, and proactive attitude truly distinguish you. Congratulations once again from all the team on this well-deserved recognition!”

Joe appreciates the way the college learning dovetails with the activities he is involved with on the day-job. “My experience working with steel pipework in the college workshop helped me greatly when we had to replace a plate heat exchanger on site. Similarly, practicing with compression fittings and building copper frames gave me confidence to plumb in an electric water heater after diagnosing and repairing faults with the appliance.”

Well-done Joe!

Audrius Gricius – Apprentice Profile

Posted on by Ian Adams

We’re in conversation with Audrius Gricius, who works as a Controller/CCTV operator at The Square retail shopping centre contract in Camberley. Audrius is enrolled in a team leader/supervisor apprenticeship programme.

What have you learnt so far from this apprenticeship?

So far, I have gained better understanding of the role and responsibilities of a team leader/supervisor, as well as the importance of effective communication between different departments within our operation.

What have you enjoyed about this apprenticeship?

Since starting my apprenticeship, I have enjoyed learning new skills and acquiring knowledge to help me in my current role. I have found the apprenticeship challenging, however the support I received from my tutor Colin Ripley to be very helpful and valuable to my progression and development.

What do you hope the apprenticeship will do for you?

I had hoped that the apprenticeship would develop me with the necessary skills and knowledge to become a better person and a great team leader in my current role. I have seen from my lessons and the apprenticeship that I am confidently embedding this into my role. My next hope is that I achieve a supervisor’s position upon completion.

Josh Marodeen – Apprentice Profile

Posted on by Ian Adams

We’re in conversation with Josh Marodeen, who currently works as a cleaner at the Q3 contract with Specsavers in Whiteley in Hampshire and has shown a keen interest to develop a career in business development.

To pursue his ambition, Josh now balances a dual role arrangement, sharing his time cleaning with Specsavers as well as working part-time as a business development apprentice with Q3. To help him in his business development role, Josh is pursuing a Sales Executive level 4 Business Standard Apprenticeship at Fareham college.

What have you learnt so far from this apprenticeship?

I have currently been on this apprenticeship since April 2023, and I have learnt a lot more information about sales and the corporate side of the FM business sector. I have been involved in some site visits for potential tenders, which I found to be extremely interesting, because it gave me an insight the variety of different organisations in which FM operates. I have also developed my interactive skills as I had to work with a range of stakeholders to complete tenders and build relationships with potential and existing clients. The apprenticeship and the support I get from my manager and team has made more confident to be more in the practical elements of the processes and decisions that I make to be effective in my role in business development.

What have you enjoyed about this apprenticeship?

I’ve enjoyed understanding the theory learning from college and I am able to relate this to the small team in which I work. It’s given me the opportunity to embed and build creative initiatives and  ideas to help promote Q3.

With my new-found confidence I’ve also enjoyed meeting people, both internally and externally. I have enjoyed attending college sessions as part of this apprenticeship, as it has enabled me to meet a range of people from different sectors and backgrounds, broadening my horizon on what business development looks like in other sectors.

I meet with my tutor Andrea regularly, and I have found these sessions of great benefit as I get feedback on my work so that I can continue to develop within my role.

What do you hope the apprenticeship will do for you?

I am hoping this apprenticeship opens a lot of future opportunities that match my skill set. I am hoping it solidifies my knowledge of the whole corporate world, by understanding the FM sector and how business development will continue to be a central part of Q3 future success. While Q3 is my employer of choice, I have a great love of football and I have an aspiration to combine my passion for the game with some kind of business development role in that sector.

Another aspiration is potentially being involved in sales within the football industry – understanding market value and spotting trends that could be translated effectively into revenue to help grow a football club.

Paul Courtney – Apprentice profile

Posted on by Ian Adams

We’re in conversation with Paul Courtney, an HR advisor, working as part of the central team at Q3. Paul is currently studying for the CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma in People Management.

What have you learnt so far from this apprenticeship?
From completing the apprenticeship, I have found that my confidence and the understanding of employment law has grown, which has enabled me to speak to my HR Director more proactively in bringing any concerns to their attention with problem solutions to make changes and improve our services to the business. The apprenticeship has been balanced well with the delivery and what I am completing at work. Within our sector, we will often mobilise or demobilise teams through TUPE. This meant that I was able to combine knowledge from college, with practical experience through working with my Director in a practical manner.

What have you enjoyed about this apprenticeship?
I have really enjoyed embedding the new knowledge of this apprenticeship into my workplace. I struggled initially and I would find myself second guessing my guidance and support to both managers and employees on a range of HR subjects. However, the apprenticeship has taught me to step back and reflect more often. Another benefit of this apprenticeship for me, is it has supported me to build my own network of People Professionals from other sectors to gain insight and of course to ask those silly questions!

What do you hope the apprenticeship will do for you?
I came from the education sector (post 16), where I would be working with teams from a range of sectors who were supporting their own learners through an apprenticeship. So, for me, it felt strange to be on my own apprenticeship journey. I hoped that by completing my own apprenticeship, it would give me wider knowledge base and understanding on the employment differences between the education sector and my new sector of Facilities Management. As the business continues to grow, I would like to think I would be capable to step up into a HR Manager role.

Thanks Paul.

Apprentices – the next generation

Posted on by Ian Adams

Employing and developing the right people is the the key to success in any FM business and apprenticeships is a fundamental part of that strategy.

Those of you who are familiar with Q3 will know that our company name directly reflects our company values. The three Qs represent Quality people, Quality service and Quality workplaces, and are the foundation of our value proposition. These three values are totally intertwined of course, because without quality people Q3 can never expect to deliver quality services or create quality workplaces.

That’s why we place such great emphasis on finding the right people and creating the kind of environment where they can develop and flourish, both professionally and personally. Our apprenticeship programme is an important part of that strategy, providing the seed corn for the next generation of quality Q3 people.

Q3 currently has six apprentices who have taken the steps to further develop themselves within the sector and pursue their career aspirations. Although we are an FM business where you might expect the focus to be on trade apprenticeships, we have quite a diverse spread of apprenticeships in non-traditional areas, including HR, Finance, Sales and Team Leadership. We’re constantly encouraging employees to consider apprenticeships and have two new additions joining in the new Year.

Over the next few weeks, we will be celebrating the progress of the individuals who are part of our apprenticeship programme, to discover what they are gaining from the investment and how it is helping their career progression. We will also be talking to some of the managers and clients involved, to understand their roles in supporting the people in the programme. The consensus is that the apprenticeships have not only broadened the knowledge of the participants, but also boosted their confidence and independence, allowing them to accept greater responsibility, challenge the status quo and seek out more innovative solutions in their day-to-day activities.

First up, will be Paul Courtney who is pursuing the CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma in People Management qualification.