Life skills

This week marks National Apprenticeship Week, a seven-day celebration of creating positive impact on individuals, businesses and the wider economy.

Having always recognised the potential of upskilling its employees, Smart Display has been bringing apprentices on board since 2023. Within an environment designed to nurture, encourage and empower, apprentices are trained on the job in conjunction with more formal education undertaken on and off the premises as part of the government-backed scheme.

Currently, Smart Display employs three apprentices; Elliott Haigh, Zack Southwell and Oliver Hellawell, as well as continuing to invest in its more senior members of staff. For the apprentices, the scheme is an opportunity to gain invaluable skills within a designated trade as well as receiving a salary straight from leaving education.

“This is my first job straight from school and I’m really enjoying it,” says 17 year-old Oliver Hellawell, who came on board with Smart Display in October last year. “I think the best thing is that the team is really happy to take the time to teach me how to develop the skills I need. I’m doing a level 3 apprenticeship in joinery and, while there’s some time to go before I complete the qualification, I would like to stay at Smart Display.”

Further along the process is 19 year-old Elliott Haigh, who will complete the same qualification imminently having joined Smart Display just before last year’s National Apprenticeship Week.

“I was already part-way through my level 3 apprenticeship in architectural joinery when I joined Smart Display,” says the former cabinet-maker. “The fact that it was something different appealed to me; it’s still doing joinery which is what I love, but within the context of a high-volume, fast-paced and very business-orientated environment.”

Having specialised in cabinet-making prior to joining Smart Display, Elliott quickly adapted his skills to making a wide range of stand elements from storage solutions to counters. Encouraged and mentored by the experienced installations team at Smart Display, he was soon confident enough to undertake his first job on-site.

“I like seeing what I have created being used by the client it was intended for,” says Elliott. “It’s very different to the theory-based learning of the classroom because I can see the finished product first-hand. One of my first installations was for a client who was new to exhibitions, so she ended up asking me questions about the whole process.”

As well as being sent out on site to venues in London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester and Stoneleigh, Smart Display’s apprentices have the opportunity to install overseas as part of a wider, skilled team of joiners building at European shows.

“I’m learning a lot here and I’ve really taken to the world of exhibitions both on and off site,” says Elliott. “I’ll stay at Smart Display as long as I can and who knows what future holds when I have completed my apprenticeship in full.”

At the other end of the spectrum, Smart Display is investing into its more senior members of staff with a view to equipping them with the valuable skills they need to manage and nurture less-experienced employees. Dispelling the myth that apprenticeships are the preserve of school-leavers, Smart Display’s longest-serving employee Shane Riding recently completed his level 5 apprenticeship in management.

Bolstering his role as production director. Shane – who currently manages 16 staff across production and installations – was awarded the accolade for Operations or Departmental Manager following the successful completion of his final project in December. Having been with Smart Display since its inception in 2015, Shane undertook the course in a bid to gain a better perspective into a hands-on role that has become a way of life over the past decade.

Shane is just one of several employees undertaking outside qualifications to improve their skillset both during National Apprenticeship Week and all year round. Fellow director Nathan Hesslewood – who oversees the creative and design department – also completed his level 5 apprenticeship in leadership and management last year.

“I think most people immediately think of ‘trades’ when you hear the term apprentice, or perhaps an alternative path to college for school leavers,” says Nathan. “But having been in exhibitions for just over 19 years, I had naturally grown out of the day-to-day design job and into a leadership roll, and having a lot of experience as a creative doesn’t necessarily give you the skills to be a good manager. I’m really grateful to have an employer who invests in its people, and who gave me the opportunity to gain these skills and qualifications along side day to day work.”

“One of our key strengths has always been our distinct departments, the leaders of which are all leaders in their field from our talented designers to our skilled joiners,” says Smart Display’s managing director Chris Stewart. “We are proud of all of our staff’s achievement and will continue to invest in people to deliver the best possible service to our clients.”