Author Archive

Day Two of the CWE Apprentice Case Study

March 9th, 2017

Jake is a second year apprentice here at CWE, and aged 22 he is one of the more senior members of the apprenticeship team. Growing up, Jake wanted to be a pilot, but later pursued a career in electrics.

He first heard about apprenticeships in school. Once he qualifies as a JIB Electrician, Jake wants to go onto university to further his studies. Jake has a keen interest in electro technology and his favourite module is practical training.

Jake’s advice to those seeking an apprenticeship would be to persist with the training. Even though the first year of the apprenticeship wage seems low, keep going, the rewards come quickly by year 2 and also upon qualification.

 

 

Jack, First Year Apprentice

Jack, First Year Apprentice

First year apprentice, Jack, has wanted to be an Electrician all his life. Jack came to CWE after hearing really great things from a fellow course member who is currently a level 3 apprentice at our company.
Jack enjoys all elements of the NVQ from practical to theoretical study. Jack would recommend an apprenticeship in electro technical, he says ’I enjoy working with Electricians, I learn a lot’ and he would particularly recommend completing your apprenticeship at CWE.

National Apprenticeship Week – CASE STUDY Level One Apprentices

March 8th, 2017

It’s March, which can only mean one thing… it’s Apprenticeship week! Our team have spent a lot of time over the past few weeks promoting apprentice week, via conferences and school visits by highlighting the pros of getting yourself an apprenticeship.

As part of this programme we thought we would what better way to discuss apprentices than to give you a snap shot of our very own apprentice team.

Over the coming days we will post case studies of our team, so sit back and enjoy CWE’s celebration of #Apprenticeweek

CASE STUDY Level One Apprentices

Jack - Level One Apprentice

Jack – Level One Apprentice

This is Jack. Jack is a level one apprentice at Crimewatch Alarms Ltd on a traineeship with us from our training provider Coleg QS. At only 16 years old, Jack is currently the youngest member of the CWE team.  Jack originally wanted to join the army after completing school, however after completing his work experience at a direct labour organisation at a local housing association he decided to pursue an apprenticeship. His favourite part about his apprenticeship is working alongside qualified electricians, learning from them whilst on site. Jack’s piece of advice for anyone looking at an apprenticeship as career option, ‘It is something I would definitely recommend, once qualified you have a job for life’.

 

Lee - Level One Apprentice

Lee – Level One Apprentice

Meet Lee: he is 18 years old and he too is a level one apprentice carrying out a traineeship here at CWE. After leaving school, Lee was interested in pursuing a career as a mechanic, but later found the electro-technical NVQ more interesting. Once taking an interest in the electrical apprenticeship, Lee contacted Dean at Coleg QS and arranged his place on the course at the college. He enjoys all aspects of the apprenticeship but in particular he enjoys working and learning at the same time (although he wishes the Welsh weather was a little kinder when working outside). Lee also would recommend an apprenticeship, ‘if a friend asked if it I thought it was worth doing, I would say DEFINITELY!’

The best way to predict the future…

February 24th, 2017

It’s been another busy Friday here at CWE towers filled with presentations, meetings and lots of crucial tea making.

 

A few weeks ago, two members of our Leadership team, Rachel and Gavin, headed over to Croesyceiliog School in Cwmbran to discuss career options with the current year 11 students.

 

At first, speaking to approximately 270 students seemed to be quite daunting for our duo, however with the positive response from the students and help from Liz at Golley Slater, the presentation went without a hitch.

 

The presentation looked at three different aspects of seeking out an apprenticeship. Firstly, Dean Stephens from our training provider, Coleg QS, took to the stand to discuss the academic side of apprenticeships and how to obtain funding. Our very own Gavin Cook went on to discuss his time as an apprentice and the journey he went on as a school-leaver into his time working and training with CWE. Finally, Director Rachel Kendall went on to discuss the history behind the CWE apprenticeship scheme and the career options that are available in both the electrical and administration departments.

 

It was a great morning, with really positives outcomes which resulted in a number of enquiries from potential new students.

 

We would like to thank Golley Slater for involving us in this Welsh Government project; it has been really humbling being able to speak to the students and hopefully inspire their future career options. We would also like to say a big thank you to Dean and the team at Coleg QS for taking the time to attend and give a presentation with us. Also, a big thank you to Gavin and Rachel for sharing their stories of CWE with students.

 

On Monday, Rachel will be speaking in a panel discussion for the Capita Conference for Apprenticeships and Traineeships in the Hilton Hotel in Cardiff. Rachel, alongside representatives from BT and Deloittes will be looking at the different business models of SME’s and Large-Macro businesses and their different perspectives on the growth and expansion of Apprenticeship programmes.

 

Apprenticeships and learning have always been a passion of CWE’s and they are values that are ingrained into the company culture. I think Abraham Lincoln says it best, “The best way to predict the future, is to create it”, definitely words we live by here at CWE.

New Year, New Services!

January 13th, 2017

Reflecting back on the last 12 months we have had an amazing year here at CWE Towers.  2016 has been a prosperous year with many achievements and accolades.

We started the year with excitement and anticipation of our company’s 30th birthday and what better way to start than with our accreditations for ISO 9001 in Quality Management and 14001 in Environmental Management. For years we have ‘banged our drum’, so to speak, about being the best at what we do and the services we provide, but I must say, there is an incredible feeling knowing an international standard agrees with you. This was our second year being a part of the ISO family and it is a real badge of honour for our company, one we wear with pride.

As the year went on we attained a number of endorsements and accreditation due to our ever growing reputation. We became a Premier Partner with Hyfire, ADSA approved automatic door installers, and a Fire Industry Association member but to name a few.

The highlight of the year was our trip to Llandudno and winning ‘Small Business of the Year’ award at the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2016. Receiving recognition from the Welsh Government and National Training Federation of Wales was something very special for us and thirty years in the making. As an added bonus, we got to meet the ‘Go Compare!’ Man, Wynne Evans, as well.

There are a many number of exciting things happening already in 2017, starting with our Director Rachel speaking at a Capita Conference Panel discussing the influences of Apprenticeships in companies in Wales and this is shortly followed by Gavin, starting our ‘get an apprenticeship’ campaign by speaking at his local comprehensive school.

You will also want to keep your eyes peeled, as next week we have a massive announcement coming …….

So to sum up, cheers to 2016, it was a good one! And hello to 2017, we look forward to what you have in store for us.

#Holdontoyourhats #watchthisspace

Merry Christmas from all at CWE!

December 23rd, 2016

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the #CWE Elves! Remember our main offices will be closed today at 4pm until Tuesday 3rd January, but please remember our emergency engineers are on call 24/7 across the entire holiday period so please don’t hesitate to call the mainline number should you require assistance!

Winners of Small Employer of the Year!

October 27th, 2016

Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2016

October 24th, 2016

Last Thursday myself and Andrew attended the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2016 held by the Welsh Government and National Training Federation of Wales in Llandudno. The awards ceremony brought together students, employers and training providers from across Wales whose contributions to the apprenticeship initiative have surpassed others in their industry.

Small Employer of the Year - Mike Hall Photography

Small Employer of the Year – Mike Hall Photography

We were very lucky that our company had been shortlisted as a finalist for ‘Apprentice Employer of the Year’ in the small business category.

And guess what…… WE WON!

We wanted to take this opportunity to thank our clients, framework partners, suppliers and training providers for their hard work and loyalty over the years. It is due your continued support that we are able to offer such a great apprenticeship programme, and have been offering it for more than 30 years.

This year marks our 30th year in business and to receive an award of this magnitude is incredible.

I’m sure you will agree, the promotion of Apprenticeship schemes in our industry is currently more important than ever and we need to keep the touch burning.

So please spread the word, from employer to student to client: Apprenticeship programmes are important, they are keep our industry alive.

Focusing on the Future: Training the Bright Sparks of Tomorrow

July 29th, 2016

What a start it has been to our 30th year in business! New contracts, new apprentices, new sponsorship deals; it really has been a whirlwind start to our 31st year here at CWE.

This week alone has seen us sponsor our local Rugby Team, Cwmbran RFC, along with a banner for their pitch. A number of our engineer’s play for the club and as a Leadership Team we can’t wait to get down to the pitch to cheer them on when the new season starts.

Yesterday I received a call from Apprenticeship Awards Cymru announcing we had made it through to the final of our category of ‘Employer Apprentice of the Year 2016’. I can’t convey in words the excitement that resonated through the office at this news. We are really looking forward to the ceremony at Venue Cymru in Llandudno in October; there is already a daily countdown on the white board!

As a Director here at CWE, I felt a great deal of pride to see how happy our workforce was when they heard the news. This is certainly a massive achievement for CWE and one that would not have been possible without the continued support of our loyal clients & framework partners and our amazing training providers.

We look forward to the coming months, for a visit from the judging panel and the media teams. There will be great opportunities to show how committed we are to apprenticeships and training. We are looking forward to showing off our training suite and introducing them to our remarkable team. After the judging panel visit, there will be a number of press releases and even the presence of a film crew, documenting our story and the run up to the final.

With this strong culture of positivity & togetherness within the CWE Team who knows where the next 30 years will take us?

Rachel Meese-Kendall, Director

CWE approved contractors for ADSA – Automatic Door Suppliers Association

May 3rd, 2016

CWE this summer gained membership to yet another highly regarded institution, the Automatic Door Suppliers Association (ADSA.) Being part of the association, CWE are now able to show a high level of commitment to maintaining high standards in automatic door maintenance.

With the growth in volume of automatic doors throughout a huge number of business premises over the past two decades, the need for greater attention to safety in this area has become all the more apparent. As highlighted on their website, ADSA was established in 1985, and is the only institution dedicated to recognising the importance of safety with regards to automatic installations.

 With the growing need in the business field to adhere to safety and accessible requirements, it is important that such a common feature is maintained to the highest standards. Andrew Hutchins, CWE Director enthused, “It is very rare for small businesses to gain ADSA membership, and yet again this is a true reflection of our dedication to our customers’ and clients’ safety.”

The membership is also another example of how CWE endeavours to constantly keep up to date with changes in the facilities management field. Andrew continued to explain, “We made this commitment at a board meeting and were able to send two of our engineers on a course in order to gain full membership.”

The benefits of course are numerous. “Through being on board with ADSA, we can continue to maintain the highest levels of service, health and safety for our clients,” concluded the CWE Director.

Indeed, this is possibly the most pertinent advantage of the ADSA-CWE link. With an array of automatic door set ups, be they in shops, business premises or otherwise, thousands of people use such facilities from day to day. Given the electrics involved, there is a certain scope for errors to occur. In becoming one of the few small businesses to consequently adhere to such standards, CWE are continuing to strive to provide an ethical service to customers.

It is another reflection of how highly the team consider safety and continuous improvement throughout every component of the business’ work. Well done to everyone involved.

Malpas United Girls F.C

March 21st, 2014

CWE are delighted to say we are the Proud Sponsers of Malpas United Girls F.C.