Alan Cooper Cabinetmaker Ltd is a bespoke furniture making business based in Buckinghamshire. The owner, Alan Cooper, ran the business on his own for many years, but was interested in hiring an apprentice in order to pass on his skills and have an extra pair of hands in the workshop.

Recruitment

Alan approached a college which was initially enthusiastic about his offer of an Apprenticeship but in the end did not put any names forward for interview. Alan was discussing his frustration about this with a customer who said they knew of a young man who was doing a one-year course in joinery at college and who was looking for an Apprenticeship placement: “He was looking for just the opportunity that I was looking to offer.”

Alan’s apprentice, Joe, visited him at his workshop for an initial introduction. They discussed Alan’s work and Joe’s experience in the trade. The fact that Joe had completed a one-year bench joinery course at college meant that Alan was confident he could do the work required for the Apprenticeship. Soon after, Joe started with Alan on an Intermediate Level Apprenticeship.

Apprentice support

During his initial assessments, it was found that Joe was dyslexic. However, Alan strongly believes that this has had little impact on the quality of Joe’s work. He feels confident to let Joe get on with the simpler tasks and has been impressed at the level of accuracy Joe achieves on tasks which his dyslexia might have affected. For example, he only occasionally needs to provide Joe with some additional support with his writing and spelling.

Alan let Joe choose the training provider for his Apprenticeship. He chose Webs Training, a specialist in the furniture industry whose tutors are all ex-apprentices. Joe attends Webs on block release every three months and his tutor visits the workshop once a month to check on Joe’s progress. If Joe struggles with something in between these visits he can email or ring his tutor.

“They give great support on the work that you do... because they’re all ex-students, they understand the work more than someone who’s just been told what they have to say.” Joe Calderbank - Apprentice

Joe uses technology to overcome some of the barriers his disability presents around reading and writing. For example, he uses his mobile phone to take notes and emails the information to Alan, which Alan has found more convenient for his filing system. Similarly, Webs have provided Joe with a memory stick onto which they have uploaded all of his assignments. This means that he can do all of his coursework on a computer.

Benefits to the employer

In Buckinghamshire, employers who take on an apprentice are eligible for the Bucks Grant, a one-off payment of £1,500 from the Buckinghamshire Apprentice Grant Team. Employers who take on an apprentice with additional needs receive a further £1,000 grant. Connexions Buckinghamshire approached Alan and informed him that he was not only eligible for the Bucks Grant, but also for an extra grant because of Joe’s dyslexia. This enabled Alan to make adjustments to his workshop to accommodate a second member of staff, and also covers the additional time he spends supporting Joe with his paperwork and writing.

“It’s a cushion for those times where I have to take a little bit more time explaining things to him or reading his writing! It takes the pressure off.” Alan Cooper - Employer

The apprentice salary has been a good step for Alan to expand his small business as it means he doesn’t have to find a large wage each month. It also means that Alan is happy for Joe to watch him do some of the more difficult tasks without worrying that he’s costing him a lot of money. In addition, Alan has found that with Joe’s help he is getting more work done, which covers the overheads of having an apprentice.

“An apprentice is a much easier, gentle step to take and it’s what my business needed at the time.” Alan Cooper - Employer

Having a dyslexic apprentice has also changed Alan’s views on what to look for in an employee. He used to judge a lot of job applications by the quality of the spelling, punctuation and grammar. However, Joe’s abilities and enthusiasm for the work have made Alan realise that writing is not the most important skill a furniture maker requires and that, by dismissing these applications, he could be missing out on excellent applicants. This is something he will bear in mind when recruiting in the future.

Benefits to the apprentice

Joe has already gained a lot of skills and really enjoys his placement. He feels that he has really benefited from doing an Apprenticeship with such a small business as he gets to use all of the machines and is also involved in the design processes, contacting customers, pricing and so on. The practical nature of the work suits Joe as he can make the most of the artistic, 3D skills that his dyslexia lends him.

Alan and Joe are looking forward to the second year of Joe’s Apprenticeship when he can take on more responsibilities around the workshop. In the long term, Alan is hoping that Joe will stay with him and together they can hire more apprentices to expand the business. Joe would like to support someone to run their own business or even run his own furniture making business in the future.

“Eventually I’d like to run my own company and hire some apprentices and give them the opportunity to get into the industry.” Joe Calderbank - Apprentice

Further information

Alan Cooper Cabinetmaker Ltd is a bespoke furniture making business based in Buckinghamshire. For more information, visit www.alancoopercabinetmaker.co.uk

Webs Training Ltd is a national provider of quality Apprentice and Adult training for the furniture and associated industries. For more information, visit www.webstraining.com 

Connexions Buckinghamshire provides information, advice and guidance on a range of topics to young people aged 16-24. For more information, visit www.connexionsbucks.org.uk

« Back to case studies