Investing in the future

As a predominantly service based company, our staff are our single most important asset. As Richard Branson once said ‘Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients’.

Investing in the future of dsnm has taken a new angle in the last 18 months with the employment of apprentice, Amy Alder.

With the rising cost of university, people now more than ever are turning to apprenticeships to gain skills for their future careers. They are a fantastic way to start earning, while gaining on the job training to kick start a great career. We, alongside the apprenticeship scheme, have tailored an educational programme to suit our business needs, focusing on recruiting team members who fit our business ethos.

Having the opportunity to shape our apprentices experience of work is incredibly rewarding and it is fantastic to see them grow and develop during their apprenticeship.

Amy was our very first apprentice and joined the company in September 2018. Having just completed her years apprenticeship, she is now a fully fledged member of the team and employed as a full-time Fleet Assistant. We grabbed Amy away from her desk for a quick chat so she could tell us what she thought of her apprenticeship with dsnm....

Amy, having joined us fresh from college, what drove you to do an apprenticeship?

When I completed my A-levels I knew I wanted to do an apprenticeship that was business focused and after looking at a few options, I found the project administrator apprenticeship with dsnm on the Government apprenticeship website and thought it could be an interesting opportunity. This apprenticeship is a Level 3 Diploma for Business Administration run by City and Guilds.

What was your first week like?

Very daunting and strange because I had never been in an office environment before, but the staff all made me feel very welcome and helped me to settle in. There were so many products and services being mentioned and I had no idea what everyone was talking about! There is a real family friendly feel to the dsnm office which I didn’t expect, it was great to be welcomed into the team.

Describe a typical day?

There is not really a typical day at dsnm, generally I start my day by checking emails, then speaking to members of the fleet team to see if they need any assistance during the day. Now as a fully-trained fleet assistant, I manage the admin/paperwork for David’s clients, so my main priority for each day is to see if any orders and items need to be dispatched and processed that day.

What has been the highlight of the last year & what's been the most challenging?

Visiting one of our clients onboard a yacht. This enabled me to see the other side of the industry and how our services impact on our clients. The yacht was incredible! In terms of the most challenging, this has to be the technical side of the business as this is something I had absolutely no experience of before I joined dsnm.

What support/mentoring have you received?

Between the government apprenticeship scheme allocated assessor and dsnm, I had support and training at the beginning on the basic elements of the job and I have constantly had more training by working alongside other team members in different departments.

Have you had any specific projects to complete?

Yes, I had to complete an ICT project about all the systems we use, e.g. finance , fleet systems etc. I have also been undertaking a large project to create a ‘new client binder’, this is a work in progress and something I have been project managing.

Tell us a little bit about dsnm’s working culture and the kind of environment you work in?

dsnm’s working culture is great, we work hard but enjoy a laugh whilst we are doing it. Everyone strives to provide the best service they can to their clients and it’s inspiring to see the enthusiasm everyone has even when we have been set a near on impossible task. If one person is particularly busy everyone chips in to help, this goes back to that family feel the company has and the strong teamwork there is between everyone.

How have you found the experience of balancing work, studying and life?

Absolutely fine, I have adjusted well and dsnm have been great at ensuring I have enough time in the office to study which has meant I don’t need to do so much at home.

Has your apprenticeship been worth it?

Yes I really feel it has, especially as I have been given a full time job at dsnm at the end of it. I have gained so many invaluable skills and would definitely advise others to undertake an apprenticeship. You can earn while you train and the experience you get is brilliant, I have developed my skills and learnt so many things and can now start my career with dsnm.

Amy is now in a position to use the skills she has learnt over the past year to help guide our new apprentice Courtney.