Apprenticeships at the heart of growth: Sam Williams, Project Director at BESA’s National Contractor of the Year 2025, Arcade UK, who are part of our SEED Programme, tell us about their approach to the next generation of building engineering services talent and how you can get the ball rolling.
Q1. What role do apprenticeships play at Arcade?
They are central to how we build the business for the long term. They are the heartbeat of our company, and we want our apprentices to become our leaders of tomorrow.
Q2. Why did you decide to invest in apprenticeships in the first place?
Two main reasons: Firstly, we wanted to help develop young engineers in our area and be a socially conscious business, investing in our local community. Secondly, we could see a skills issue in the industry, with young people not coming through and a lack of structured development in the “old way” of learning purely on site. We wanted to change that, expand the skillsets of the next generation and lead by example in our industry.
Q3. How do apprenticeships support business growth, practically?
They reduce over-reliance on subcontractors by building and expanding our in-house capability. We now use a model where we have an in-house lead engineer and an apprentice directly underneath. That supports profitability and resilience and shows us as a responsible employer who can help grow our team’s careers.
Q4. Do customers see the benefit?
We believe that customers like working with a company that does the work with its own people. Being less reliant on subcontractors builds confidence and consistency, as well as profitability, and it helps customers feel safe in the knowledge that they are working with a partner who knows exactly what they are doing.
Q5. Are apprenticeships only for site roles?
No. We have apprentices in multiple parts of the business including building services, electrical, air conditioning, service and maintenance.
We also support wider routes, including apprenticeships linked to design engineering and project management.
Q6. How do you work with colleges and training providers?
We work closely with Cambridgeshire Regional College. They support relevant apprenticeship routes, help us find the right courses for our people, assist with candidates if needed, and invite us to represent our offer at careers fairs.
When we started, it was overwhelming, but investing the time to find responsive training partners made a big difference.
Q7. What have you learned about getting started as an apprentice employer?
Use the resources that already exist. We found providers through City and Guilds resources, and you can either start with the training package you need then find a college, or approach local colleges and ask what they are able to support.
Q8. What makes apprenticeships so important as the industry changes?
Apprenticeships develop a more rounded skill set than informal progression, and the industry is moving towards tighter competency requirements, such as SKILLcards and task certification. It is essential the workforce is trained in this way from the beginning.
Q9. How does this training show up in day-to-day delivery?
It builds professional discipline. Through their education, apprentices learn to produce reports and documentation. The ability to write reports for management teams and customers is fundamental to how we communicate and work.
Q10. What is next for Arcade’s apprenticeship programme?
We have ambitious growth plans. By 2030, we are aiming for around 100 members of staff, and apprentices will be a major part of that, employing 30 to 40 overt he next three to four years. Working with our trusted school, college and training providers will continue to be key, as well as discovering new partners that can help us achieve this aim.
The apprentices we have today will hopefully make up our next senior management team and directors in the next 15 years. To support this aim, we are developing programmes to identify these rising stars and progress their careers with us.