Jobs and Careers Summer 2022 - 99

SUMMER 2022
Case
study
" A first-class degree
seemed like a dream "
Over the past few years, Steph Judge has
progressed from quality and despatch team leader to sales
and business development and special projects manager
at Stannah subsidiary Global Upholstery Solutions,
and gained a degree in business to business sales
With no qualifications behind her, Steph thought Stannah had got
the wrong person when they first approached her about doing an
apprenticeship. " I'm very proud of my degree but my apprenticeship
experience has been about so much more than a qualification, " she
says. " I've learned so much about myself - how to focus, how to
interact with others - and it has shown me I really can do anything I
put my mind to. I've finally learned how to learn, which will serve me
throughout my life. "
Steph completed her apprenticeship during a period that also saw
her have a baby, move house, negotiate a pandemic and secure her
maths and English GCSEs. " I sometimes think, how did I manage that?
But I just kept focusing on the task in hand and took it one step at a
time. I also had some incredible support from Mike Newman, who was
with me the whole way. "
Did you know?
Stannah is a global group with
over 10 international businesses
and manufacturing sites in the
Czech Republic and the US
Driving improvement
With such a strong heritage, you
might expect the company to be
complacent. However, the fifth
generation of the Stannah family sees
it as their responsibility to hand down
an increasingly resilient and sustainable
business to the next. This drives
improvement, innovation and a desire
to harness the latest technologies - all
supported by training of various kinds.
" We recognise that all our employees
are individuals, so we understand
that training and development mean
different things to different people, "
says Mike Newman, group learning and
development manager. " Training, at all
stages of a career, is vital to not only allow
our people to excel in their roles, but also
to give a sense of personal development,
to create a wider perspective and
encourage forward thinking. "
Case
study
Still learning after 42 years
Dave Franklin, technical compliance manager for
Stannah's commercial lift divisions, transferred to
Stannah in 1980 as an apprentice following the collapse
of the shipbuilders where he'd started out
" I've always said you have to make the most of the opportunities around
you, " says Dave. " Apprenticeships are a very valuable way of learning a
trade, offering numerous opportunities to excel and progress if you have
the aptitude. " I've had so many roles at Stannah and always been able to
progress and learn more, so I have never felt the need to change employer. "
For example, Stannah was one of the
first in the stairlift industry to harness
the power of augmented reality to be
able to demonstrate to prospective
customers how a stairlift might look in
their home and the first to launch an
e-commerce platform in the stairlift
market - an innovation that proved
invaluable during the pandemic.
Although a business with an
enviable heritage, Stannah has its
sights firmly set on the future.
For more information
Start your journey with a call
to our recruitment hotline
on 01264 342263 or visit
stannah.com/careers
http://stannah.com/careers http://stannah.com/careers
Jobs and Careers Summer 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Jobs and Careers Summer 2022
