Northern Ireland-based Dennison Commercials has taken on 14 new apprentices this year, a record number for the Volvo Trucks dealer.
The positions are across a range of departments including the vehicle workshops, parts departments, bodyshop and in-house maintenance. Dennison Commercials has been taking on apprentices for many years, but in 2014 it introduced a structured Volvo training programme to meet an industry skills gap and increased business demand.
“Our apprentices play an important part at Dennisons and we appreciate the value that the young workforce brings,” said MD John Jenkins. “The apprenticeships are hugely beneficial to the future of Dennisons and since we started our new apprenticeship programme in 2014 we’ve managed to plug skills gaps in certain areas.
“We work with each of our apprentices, ensuring they are given the level of support, knowledge and skills they need.” Dennisons employs 205 people, including 35 apprentices - around 17% of the total workforce.
Jenkins said the dealer aims to retain all the apprentices once they finish, and invest in further training and development for them. “We are fully committed to guaranteeing every apprentice a job at the end of the programme,” he said.
