Winner - Lee Coker, Whispering Smith
Mentors are instrumental in
the success of apprenticeship programmes: Their buy in can turn an
Apprenticeship from a 1-year contract to a lifelong career opportunity. The
2022 Mentor of the Year provides an exceptional level of support to the
apprentices he manages, guiding them as they take their first steps into the
working world, encouraging them to take on additional responsibilities and
supporting them through challenges.
We’re delighted to announce our Mentor of the Year Award
2022 is presented to Lee Coker of Whispering Smith.
Nominated
by Apprentice, Mason Farrell, Lee has always been a keen advocate of an apprenticeship
as a route to a rewarding career: ‘I set out in the early days that if an
apprentice works hard, they are highly likely to gain full time employment here
as the business is prospering and growing.’ Indeed, one of the apprentices,
recruited by Intec, has been promoted to an Assistant Manager position to support
Lee. ‘I believe this acts as a great inspiration to apprentices coming into the
business. They can see that they can grow and progress.’
Lee
provides a constant support for the apprentices he looks after and his
nominator, Mason couldn’t agree more: ‘Lee has given me lots of his time,
helping train me and it’s the same with all the other apprentices. He
timetables out our visits with our Tutor to ensure we have time to complete our
apprenticeship and as I’ve grown into the role, Lee has given me more responsibilities,
but he always makes himself available to discuss priorities and concerns. He
has always encouraged me to push myself and I am now working towards achieving my
second qualification, as well as obtaining my forklift truck licence and
becoming a qualified first aider.’
Lee really does go above and beyond and
recently his actions have helped his team through an incredibly tough
situation: ‘We had a colleague who had a heart attack in the workplace and Lee
literally saved his life through his efforts. His quick thinking was selfless
and quite simply, brilliant. Although he must have been distressed himself, he
made sure the whole workforce was ok and helped mentor all of us through an
extremely difficult period. From a potentially fatal situation the individual
is now back at work.’ Mason Farrell.
‘I
have created an open atmosphere that relies on them being able to come to me
and discuss anything.’ Lee Coker.
Intec
Tutor, John Felton, has seen first-hand the support Lee provides: ‘Every single
learner we have placed with Whispering Smith, who has completed their
qualification, has been taken on as a permanent member of staff. These
individuals have continued to grow and develop their skills. Lee displays
integrity, inclusivity and is an excellent role model and his approach of
recruiting young
talent onto apprenticeships has created a faster, more vibrant, organisation.
The business is doing well, and Lee is an obvious factor in that, he has high standards,
and our learners see this and work to meet his expectations.’
The
supportive approach Lee takes has allowed the apprentices at Whispering Smith
to flourish, and we look forward to hearing about more successes from Lee’s
growing team.
Congratulation
Lee!
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