Derby – An ambition to learn
Pirtek Derby offers a good example of how young trainees can be taken on, developed and rise into senior roles over a number of years. Richard Lee-Kong (below) started work at the franchise in 2007, when he was 19 years old. Having spent two years at college studying for an electrical qualification at NVQ level 2, he decided on a change of course not least because of the competitive jobs market in the sector at that time.
“This depot assistant job came up at Pirtek so I thought, I’d apply for it. It had to be better than the part time work I was doing in a supermarket.” Richard was quickly impressed, seeing a future for himself at Pirtek. “I thought, ‘This is all right, I can work my way up’. As soon as I started, I saw what the lads were doing and thought I wanted to do that, to be one of them.” Centre manager, Kevin Jacques (pictured opposite) says, “He came to us a bit raw, with no confidence, just because he was a young lad.”
For about two years, Richard worked mainly in the depot, learning the skills of the trade, making up hoses and related activities. “After about a year, I went for my week one training course and I started to go out with the lads, generally helping out. That’s when I discovered I really wanted to go out on a van myself. After three years Kevin, the new centre manager threw Richard in the deep end, forcing him to sink or swim as an MSST. Richard took the promotion in his stride and became senior MSST about 18 months ago. “We needed someone to get out on the van quick, so he got transferred,” interjects David Smith, the franchisee. As the most experienced MSST Richard takes on the more difficult jobs. “My main contract is looking after the railways,” he says. “That’s not so
“I wanted to learn and work my way up,” says Richard.
He has clearly done this, as Kevin says, “There’s nothing that bothers him now and he has been trained by us to be ready to take over as centre manager at some point in the future. That’s his ultimate aim and we’ll get him there.”
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