Panasonic says you're hired

Following the recent appointment of its latest University Industrial Placement, the Panasonic Air Conditioning department has taken on its first apprentice.

Panasonic has a strong background in employing young people during their university studies, usually as part of a sandwich course. This past year has seen the company employ 16 Industrial Placement (IP) students across the business in both the Bracknell and Northampton offices.

The IP students are a valuable resource to the business, fulfilling real job roles. Matthew Hayes, a Business Studies student at Bournemouth University, is the latest recruit to join Panasonic’s Air Conditioning team on a year’s placement as Sales and Marketing Assistant.

“I am excited to have joined the Panasonic team and get my teeth into the role” says Matthew. “I have heard about what the past students have experienced and believe that I will gain new skills that I wouldn’t on any other job.”

As well as the appointment of Matthew, the Air Conditioning department has decided to take on its first apprentice. As a technical department, the Air Conditioning team wanted to take a longer term view of employment and training, and with the help of the HR team, began to investigate apprenticeships as an alternative source of skills.

Due to the nature of the role, the applicant had to have some engineering experience or knowledge. After making contact with the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS), Panasonic formed a relationship with East Berkshire College in Langley. Whilst there is a great emphasis on companies looking at apprenticeship schemes, the team found identifying relevant engineering courses in the local areas, surprisingly difficult.

Panasonic spent some time presenting to students at the College to explain the content of the role and its connection to the business. Pupils were then invited to make a formal application and attend interviews in Bracknell.

Ricky Sethi was the successful apprentice. Ricky stood out as his enthusiasm and passion were evident from the very first meeting and the questions he asked. This apprenticeship programme is 4 years in duration. Ricky has just finished a full year at College which counts as Year 1 of his Engineering Level 2 Apprenticeship. He will now spend Year 2 in the business, learning practical skills with on-the-job assessments.

The plan is that in Year 3, Ricky will continue to work with Panasonic, but will combine this with attending at College, one day per week to continue his formal qualifications. The decisions on which modules Ricky will study in Year 3 will be taken in conjunction with his manager to ensure that they are aligned with the needs of the business as well as his own development.

David Livingstone, Ricky’s line manager, was instrumental in the recruitment process: "Ricky has quickly understood the basic principles of Air Conditioning and is now on a steep learning curve to gain and grasp the more technical aspects of Air Conditioning and Heat Pumps. He is a bright and keen apprentice that has added value to the team. In the coming months, Ricky will be a key member of the team standing on his own two feet, assisting both external technical engineers on site and internal sales team.”

Panasonic is committed to developing all employees, regardless of their age or interests. It will continue to have a strong presence in the IP field, but is also looking to expand its apprenticeship programme in the coming years.