At the Apertus Group, one of our main focuses is helping our staff to develop, giving them the support and encouragement they need to fulfil their true potential.
In September 2023, our business administration apprentice Maddie Humphrey joined us, and over the last 15 months she has shown incredible passion for the job role, which has made such a positive impact on the business. Throughout her training, she has completed all aspects of the job to a very high standard, and in some areas gone above and beyond what we might have expected.
Her commitment and willingness to push herself to the max has been truly amazing. She has recently started to promote herself, and the business, by taking on a new role as the host of a podcast – ‘In The Driver’s Seat With Maddie’ – which has become really popular.
Maddie shows real confidence when she frequently attends networking events across Northampton and is a great representative to our business.
In November, after being nominated for Apprentice of the Year in the Northamptonshire Business Achievement Awards, she deservedly took home the trophy. We couldn’t be prouder of her for this achievement, and she truly deserved the award for all her hard work over the last 15 months.
The benefits of employing an apprentice
We feel that we can align training an apprentice to our needs as a company. It allows us to offer on-the-job training in a safe working environment, and then, by the end of the apprenticeship, it gives that person the experience needed for the job role. I feel that it encourages young apprentices to consider their job as a career, and that is the reason why they stay committed to the business longer.
Maddie is a confident, organised and incredibly passionate person, she has excellent working relationships with her colleagues and shows such professionalism with customers and our suppliers. This has then led to a lot of word-of-mouth recommendations for new customers here at Apertus Group.
Speaking about her apprenticeship, Maddie said: “Since starting my job as a Business Administration Apprentice I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the Apertus Group and the amazing team we have. I have always had a passion for cars and that is a huge part of my job role. For example, delivering and collecting to and from customers, managing what vehicles will be on site, ensuring all paperwork is up to date, insurance checks and, of course, many spreadsheets!”
“I believe that I have contributed to the team well when I complete nine-month checks on vehicles. I do this check to try to reduce the damage cost on vehicles when they are returned to us. I have also grown my LinkedIn account through weekly videos and updates of what I have done this week, and complete weekly tasks on the OneFile VLE which is set for me by my assigned Assessor Trainee Lisa.”
“Quite a few of my tasks overlap from my Business A-Level, which is good as I am already familiar with some units. I have also enjoyed attending networking events through which I can promote the Apertus Group as well as myself. I am really looking forward to my next year in the business as I will hopefully be moving into a sales position.”
Future plans
We have big plans for Maddie as we see how much potential she has and we can’t wait to support her through the next stage of her career. In the new year, Maddie will complete her Level 3 Business Administration apprenticeship and moving into a new sales role, which we are really excited about. This is where we feel she will really thrive.
In October, we welcomed two new apprentices to the team, Jocelyn Burnett and Evie Howard. They are both going to be completing their Level 3 Business Administration apprenticeship.
Jocelyn will be concentrating on the automotive administration side of the business and Evie will be focusing on the energy administration side. They have both settled in very well and already shown enthusiasm for the roles. Over the next six months they will receive more training to further their skills and knowledge at the Apertus Group.
Evie Howard said: “While I was in sixth form, I wanted to go to university but as I got older, I realised sitting in a lecture for hours, wasn’t my best learning technique as I am more of a practical person.”
“At the Apertus Group, I am completing the Level 3 Business Administration apprenticeship. I focus on the energy side, and I hope to continue that in the future as the energy world fascinates me.”
Jocelyn Burnett added: “I wasn’t happy with being at college. I wasn’t enjoying being in a classroom anymore and I knew my course wasn’t something I wanted to go into at the end, which made me think an apprenticeship would be best suited to me. This is because I’m more of a hands-on learner and prefer being practical to learn.”
“At the moment, in my apprenticeship I am working on the auto- motive side of the company. I hope to complete the apprenticeship and end with a permanent role and progress within the company.”
We can’t wait to see what Maddie, Jocelyn and Evie accomplish in 2025. It’s going to be an exciting year for us all.
Find out more about Apertus Group at www.apertusgroup.co.uk or call 01604 212828
Becky Barrett Office Manager Apertus Group
