Looking for an apprenticeship? Chesterfield firm has a long history of supportive training and development

Auto Windscreens has always placed a great deal of importance on training and development. The company’s headquarters have been based in Chesterfield since being established in 1971, and it has supported around 200 apprentices at its locations all over the UK since 2016.

Rising through the ranks

Many of Auto Windscreens’ senior leadership team started at the company as trainees or apprentices, including Managing Director James MacBeth, who became a trainee technician in Edinburgh in 1992. The company currently has 49 apprentices in a variety of roles across the country, and plans to recruit another 25 for its September intake.

Since many of its team have been with Auto Windscreens for a number of years, and due to its ‘home’ in Chesterfield, colleagues describe a ‘family’ feel and culture, where development is nurtured and encouraged, and apprentices are supported until they’re ready to ‘fly the nest’ into a permanent role.

Claire Church, Service Delivery Director at Auto Windscreens, shares what apprenticeships mean to her and the business: “We find a lot of colleagues recommend our apprenticeship scheme to friends and family members, which is the ultimate compliment and a mark of its success. Interestingly, one of our current apprentices is the grandson of Auto Windscreens founder, Brian Holmes, and my own daughter completed her Business Administration apprenticeship two years ago, and is now a Resource Planning Analyst.

“We work closely with schools in Derbyshire and attend careers evenings to give pupils and parents an idea of the type of roles we offer.”

“They’re fantastic for our business, too, providing us with eager-to-learn candidates for specific roles and skills and who can master systems and technology on-the-job, and provide us with a sustainable workforce for the future.”

Training for the future

For Auto Windscreens, apprenticeships have always made good business sense, and continue to do so with the ongoing developments in technology. The automotive glazing role has changed dramatically over the last 10 years, with new innovations in Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Contact centre roles are changing too, as agents work with webchat and AI call routing and payment platforms. Apprenticeships enable the company to introduce new talent to learn from its existing teams and allow colleagues to master mentoring skills.

Claire concludes: “Every day, I see our apprentices working alongside more experienced staff and developing communication skills, adaptability, autonomy, time management and the confidence to present new ideas, and it makes me extremely proud.

“Auto Windscreens has its roots firmly planted in Chesterfield and we’re proud of our 52-year history here. Alongside our whole team and apprentices, we have our eyes fixed on the future, too and we’re all clearly going places. Our sponsorship of the awards is a fitting one, and we look forward to presenting the trophy to the winner of the Diversity and Inclusion Award on the night!”

Find out more

Auto Windscreens’ apprenticeship scheme, Aspire Learning Experience (ALEX), won the ‘Training Provider/Programme of the Year’ category at the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Apprenticeship Awards 2023, recognising the company’s commitment to training and development.

For more information about Auto Windscreens and to book an appointment, visit Auto Windscreens website here.

Apprenticeship Awards

This year they are sponsors of the awards and urge businesses to browse all the categories to nominate your apprentices and/or your business for an award.

Not only is there a chance your success story may pick up one of the top honours, the event itself is a chance to meet with others on the same path and to make connections for the future.

Find out more and browse the awards categories at www.dnapprenticeshipawards.co.uk Closing date for entries is July 31st.