FTSE 250 strategic outsourcing company, MITIE, has celebrated the first ever ‘Real Apprentice’ graduation ceremony in Scotland to honour the 13 apprentices that completed the scheme in Glasgow. 

The scheme works to help unemployed people of all ages and backgrounds into the world of work through placements both at MITIE and with its clients. With support from mentors, the ‘apprentices’ get the opportunity to work in a number of different roles from mailroom operation to landscaping. 

Since the start of the scheme in London in 2005, 197 people have taken part, with 134 real apprentices completing the programme and 98 of those being offered permanent jobs, both at MITIE and with other employers. 13 of the apprentices completed the scheme in Glasgow. Plans to extend the scheme to other regions are underway following its success in London and Glasgow. 

Apprentices Nicola Walker and Shaun McGirr were awarded a £500 cash prize for their dedication and excellence throughout the scheme in Glasgow. Nicola commented: “The Real Apprentice showed me, that with hard work, determination and the right support behind you, you can achieve anything you put your mind to.” Shaun echoed this by saying: “There are a lot of training courses available but none provide the level of support that The Real Apprentice does. It gave me the tools to build my confidence and inspired me to step up to the mark to surpass expectations.” Both Nicola and Shaun have now secured jobs.

Kirsty Ramsay mentor to Nicola and Operations Director at HCS said: “I was genuinely blown away by the high standards demanded by the apprentice scheme, the rigorous process it follows and the calibre of the apprentices it produces. HCS is proud to be part of this trail blazing scheme in Scotland and would encourage more businesses to be involved. " 

Jim Carson, mentor to Shaun throughout the scheme commented: “I was delighted to have the opportunity to be part of The Real Apprentice scheme during its launch in Scotland. This scheme has proven to be extremely beneficial to individuals who need encouragement to further their abilities and give them confidence and self esteem.” 

Jane James, Employment Regeneration Director at MITIE, commented: 

“Not only is there a social and moral case for working together to make a difference to peoples’ lives, there is a solid business case. The Real Apprentice is about people helping people, and we encourage all individuals and organisations to get involved.”

-ENDS-

Notes for editors

What is MITIE?
We’re the strategic outsourcing company. What does that mean in practice? We manage facilities, properties and assets for our clients across the UK and beyond.

We work with our clients in three ways; some take full advantage of our whole range of expertise, others may only need one aspect of what we do:

Strategy and consultancy
+ Facilities and project management
+ Service delivery

Our strategic input can add value at the highest level by helping clients to manage their assets, while our practical management expertise can save customers money and reduce their carbon emissions. We work with a vast number of clients in every industry across both the public and private sectors and deliver the broadest range of services that can be found in one place: from integrated facilities management to engineering maintenance to lifecycle energy management and much more.

There’s a lot more to MITIE than you probably think. We’re a big company with big ambitions – a leading FTSE 250 support services business, with more than 56,000 people, revenues in excess of £1.7bn, and a reputation for being the best.

Visit us at www.mitie.com