©Jacques Grison for Sodexo
SPONSORED CONTENT: Hiring talented, ambitious people isn’t enough, organisations need to commit to their ongoing development and provide real opportunities for growth.
Sodexo strives to foster a culture dedicated to this and is passionate about supporting careers. Central to this strategy is its apprenticeship programmes.
The company proactively encourages employees to consider apprenticeships and considers these a valuable way of addressing skills gaps in the organisation, encouraging hiring managers to consider whether a vacancy could be offered as an apprenticeship wherever possible.
One area where there is a looming skills gap is engineering. It is estimated by the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board that by 2026 nearly 20% of the UK’s engineering workforce will have retired or be close to retiring*, presenting the FM industry with a significant challenge.
Last year Sodexo launched a new technical apprenticeship programme to attract new engineering talent and develop a pool of skilled engineers and future managers.
A key driver for the programme was the recognition that future engineers will need to be multi-disciplined and will require a greater understanding of the relationship between a company and its clients.
The first intake of programme recruits enrolled onto a formal three-year maintenance and operations engineering technician apprenticeship while also working at one of Sodexo’s client sites.
A crucial part of the programme is providing apprentices with the opportunity to work in different areas of the business, providing them with a valuable experience in various market sectors as well as an understanding of the breadth of Sodexo's operations.
The apprentices take part in Sodexo-run enrichment days, which provides them with a better understanding of the FM industry and the range of services offered in FM. These enrichment days also cover topics such as effective communication and management skills to help recruits gain skills that can be applied throughout their career.
Creating employment opportunities
While Sodexo is committed to giving its people the chance to develop and grow, it is also focused on promoting social mobility and supporting the local communities in which it operates. This is why it’s participating in the government’s Kickstart scheme, which aims to help 16-24 year olds who have struggled to find employment in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic gain experience through six-month work placements.
Sodexo currently has twelve Kickstart placements, with a further 32 vacancies with job centre plus. The placements enable young people to gain new skills through on-the-job training as part of a structured learning programme which will then help them get onto the career ladder and give their future employment prospects a boost.
Learn more about Sodexo Social Impact Pledges here