The Next Apprentice

Yeomans Honda in Eastbourne visits East Sussex College Eastbourne on the hunt for new apprentices.

Motor Vehicle students from the Eastbourne campus of East Sussex College had the chance of a lifetime last week (Friday 20 January) as Yeomans gave a talk to students about Apprenticeship opportunities with the brand.

Charlie Nicoll and Adam Smith from the Eastbourne branch of Yeomans Honda, spoke to students about their expectations of staff as employees. Students then had the chance to put questions to the pair.

The Yeomans brand is a family-owned company, which has increased from 25 to 36 dealerships, covering the South Coast, down to Cornwall. They are now looking for apprentices to take Yeomans to the next level.

As a former apprentice, Charlie gave a personal insight on working his way up through the company from the workshop to Sales Manager.

“Progression is there if you're ambitious and set your mind to it,” he said to students.

As an apprentice with Yeomans, students will learn to work to Honda dealer standards. The position includes one day a week at College. Near completion of their Apprenticeship, students are encouraged to undertake Honda based training courses, which is all paid for by the employer and gives the apprentice valuable insight and training.

“You can’t buy experience,” Adam told students. “An Apprenticeship shows you that you’re willing to put in the time to achieve your end goal. It can take you right to the top.”

Mark Streeter, Motor Vehicle Lecturer at East Sussex College, said, “This is a fantastic opportunity for the students. They asked Charlie and Adam some really good questions today. In return, they were taught how to present themselves and their CV in applying for work. This was a great chance to see how their course can lead to a very lucrative career.”

Charlie and Adam concluded their visit with a tour of the Motor Vehicle facilities on campus.

For the apprentices Yeomans will provide the start-up tools, a Snap-On Tools kit worth £2k. They make this investment as they realise the importance of an apprentice needing the right tools - and their own - to crack on with the job.

Students interested in the Apprenticeship opportunities left their CVs with the company. If successful, they will be able to transfer from their current course to an Apprenticeship with Yeomans, fulfilled by East Sussex College.