Ben is Director & Dealer Principal for Ben Burgess & Co. responsible for all elements of the John Deere franchise, and leading business development into new areas, including their recent expansion into Rutland & South Lincolnshire with a new Oakham branch due for completion by the end of 2021. Ben is also an ambassador for apprenticeships and skills and shared his thoughts with us here.

"As the fourth generation within Ben Burgess, I feel my responsibility is to guide the business forward, to maintain it for generations to come, and to operate with ensuring that we leave it in better fettle than when I joined. By focussing our business on providing an exceptional level of customer service & support, top quality products, strong business and skills planning, and great value propositions, we are lucky to be weathering the fall-out from Covid."

Ben is rightly proud of the family firm: "We are a family owned and run business, and having great staff who share our values is fundamental to the success of the business. We feel that staff who have gone through the apprenticeship journey with us, have a deep understanding not just of what it is we do, but fundamentally why we do it.

"With Covid-19’s impact being felt across the globe, agriculture and food security has become more prominent than ever. I hope this renewed focus not only allows the UK to keep growing great produce with world leading levels in quality, but also inspires people to look into the agri-food industry as not just a viable career path, but a positive lifestyle with a great outlook."

Ben firmly believes that it is attitude which determines how you get on in business and is a defining factor in an apprentice’s success, and says that agriculture is one of the industries which understand and capitalise on apprenticeships best. Ben has been employing apprentices for years and understand that hands on learning brings a versatile skills set. Honour Miles is currently an apprentice on the Ben Burgess Agricultural Technical Programme. She adds: "I learn a lot better with my hands rather than through textbooks.  It is a better way of learning for me."

Honour believes that apprenticeships are as equally valued as university degrees, saying: "I've never seen a split between the two. I've got mates at uni and my experience isn't that different to theirs, except they are away studying whilst I'm working. It works out much better for me being paid to learn and not taking out a student loan. I much prefer the atmosphere here than if I were to go to college".

Ben markets the company apprenticeships as a desirable career path and says that demonstrating you are a secure employer is an important factor in Covid times. "We can also give career development and provide a roadmap for career progression within the company. We go out to schools and colleges and engage directly, attracting potential talent." Ben also judges an apprenticeship award at a local college which gives him the opportunity to interview potential employees. He added: "Perceptions are changing around apprenticeships and employers are starting to understand how these can really work well in feeding into business progression."

The company is continuing to take on as many apprenticeships as it can accommodate. "It's more about the quality of the applicants”, says Ben. "But there is consistent growth now in land-based apprenticeships. An apprenticeship gives you industry-specific skills, knowledge and behaviours, along with transferable skills, experience with customer service and genuine hands on learning.  Apprenticeship providers in turn equip businesses with high quality training & support.  Youngsters exposed to working life, quickly adapt and gain skills for life, whilst providing our business with a steady progression of bespoke career opportunities."