Blog

Written by - Courtney Roye

National Apprenticeship Week 2020

This year is the 13th annual National Apprenticeship Week, taking place from 3rd to 9th February 2020 and we are proud to be supporting this again. National Apprenticeship Week is an annual week-long celebration of apprenticeships across England and is a time to recognise and applaud apprenticeship success. The apprenticeship programmes at 1st Step are organised and monitored by our HR Department and are in partnership with Recruitment Juice. Apprenticeships offer people of all ages and backgrounds a high-quality route to skilled employment with the option to train at every level in a range of exciting professions. Over the years, we have encouraged apprenticeship schemes to our staff in which we have had success, this leading to company development and progression. Apprenticeships are a great way to expand knowledge and understanding of how to further your career. For those who do not wish to take the apprentice route, we also provide support with additional recruitment coaching and training. Back in 2012, Sean Kelly completed his apprenticeship within 9 months. Sean joined 1st Step as an Apprentice Resourcer, and following completion of his apprenticeship, he has worked hard over the last 8 years developing one of our most successful desks, being promoted to Business Manager at the end of 2018. This month, Hayley Laurance, of the London & South East Trades team, will be completing her NVQ Level 3 apprenticeship in Recruitment Practice. This has now given her the opportunity to build her client relationships and fully understand the recruitment industry. Lee Lewis in the South West Trades team will also be completing his NVQ Level 3 in Recruitment Practice this month. Since beginning his apprenticeship, he has gained an understanding of what needs to be done to maximise his sales opportunities, resulting in an increased client base. Nicole Waymont, of the London & South East Trades team, is in the process of her NVQ Level 3 in Recruitment, to which she is looking to complete in May 2020. During this process, she has gained the confidence and experience to be able to take on the role of junior account management, both in the office and out on site.

The 1st Step Group

We are pleased to announce that within the past two weeks, 1st Step Solutions Ltd has completed a deal to purchase On-Site London, making them part of the 1st Step Group. Like 1st Step Solutions Ltd, On-Site London supply M&E candidates to construction sites across London and the South East. They have the added speciality with providing airside passed candidates for Heathrow & Gatwick, which is not something all agencies can attain to! The process of applying for an airport authorised signatory is not an easy task but we can now proudly announce that in the past week On-Site London has successfully gained another 12 months. Our Chairman Simon Cowdrey said “The On-Site London team are established with longevity in employment, led by their Director, Neil Saunders, whom I’ve known personally for 30 years. The acquisition of On-Site London is a great addition to the 1st Step Group, now consisting of 1st Step Solutions Ltd, 1st Step Resourcing Inc. and Wells-Brooks Associates.” He also added, “this is a very exciting time for the group, with grossing our accumulative turnover to 50M, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank our accountant Kris Havard - Wells Associates, lawyer Nick Gabay - Thomson Snell & Passmore, and the previous owner Darren Burnett in facilitating this deal.” Neil Saunders, Group Business Development Director statement: “The team at On-Site London are excited at the new challenges ahead. We are confident that with the joint experience and knowledge of the industry of both On-Site London and 1st Step, that both our clients and candidates will reap the benefits. On-Site London specialise in the supply of M&E and Construction blue-collar trades in London and the Home Counties. We are also authorised signatories for both Gatwick and Heathrow Airport. The team at On-Site London has over 30 years of experience collectively in the industry.” Les Fillery, Managing Director/Finance Director statement: “1st Step Solutions Ltd are delighted with the acquisition of On-Site London and excited to welcome the team onboard. As with any business, diversification and expansion is necessary for growth and with this partnership, we can offer different areas of experience within our market. The On-Site London team add to our extensive knowledge on supplying M&E trades and labour and in particular, at both Heathrow and Gatwick Airport as airside signatories. We, in turn, will be able to offer their clients and candidates the benefits of our LUL, Rail and technical divisions.” Lara Cameron-Wells, Managing Director statement: "Since Wells-Brooks Associates joined forces with the 1st Step Group, we have had the opportunity to expand our presence on a global basis to include, UAE, Europe, and the USA. Wells-Brooks specialise in the recruitment and training of Doctors and Nurses, with training academies in 12 countries, including London and Manchester. We are perfectly placed to address the ongoing shortage of suitably qualified candidates for the NHS and private sector. Our strong pipeline of GMC /IMC registered Doctors graduating PLAB 2, and our Nurses graduating CBT, IELTs/OET means we can uniquely present candidates from all specialities ready for relocation to the UK. We offer a full recruitment service including support from our inhouse immigration and compliance team, this includes a 12-week aftercare service for both candidates and clients which ensures confidence in our commitment to developing long term relationships." Nana Boss, Vice President statement: “1st Step Resourcing Inc. is located in New York, a thriving place for construction with some iconic structures, all of which we can acclaim to having provided white-collar and permanent placement staff for. We are specialists in the provision of operatives for Exterior, MEP, Ground Up, Heavy Construction and General Contracting sectors. We also operate on the East Coast of the USA and currently working towards the Mid-Atlantic USA. As a division, we have over 20 years of industry knowledge as a team.”