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RAILSTAFF MARCH-APRIL 2022
ARM:
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APPRENTICES IN RAIL
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ith the ongoing talent shortage and increasingly ineffective talent acquisition methods, how can we reinvigorate rail recruitment? The answer is apprentices. We caught up with Zach Howgill and Erin Holland, two apprentices in rail recruitment at Advanced Resource Managers (ARM). Why did you choose an apprenticeship with ARM? Zach: Faced with the choice of waiting two more years to get into the world of work, or getting stuck in immediately, an apprenticeship seemed like the obvious choice. Now I get to learn on the job, gaining invaluable experience and developing so many skills that you just can’t get through an A Level syllabus. Erin: Having worked in recruitment previously (in fire and security) I found a distinct lack of support– no one would show me the ropes, and there was no structure to my training of any form. I was struggling to get my foot in the door for a job and so decided it was time for a change of scenery. With the shift over to ARM and their apprenticeship structure, I’ve had the opportunity to properly learn, to understand the industry in depth, and all while getting paid.
What attracted you to the recruitment industry, and why rail recruitment in particular? Zach: I’m naturally very chatty. I genuinely enjoy talking to people, especially when I’m able to help them out as a result, so recruitment just felt like the right path to take. In terms of the rail sector, I honestly had little prior knowledge on the subject when I started, just a general interest and a level of understanding of its scale.
After some research into the rail market, seeing just how exciting and dynamic it was, I wanted to learn more. I’ve been working in rail recruitment for just over a month and a half now, and it’s just confirmed I was right. There’s so much happening all the time in this industry, which keeps life interesting. Erin: My background in recruitment helped with the decision, but I chose to join ARM and especially the rail team, due to the sheer potential for growth in this company and sector. Operating in such a massive industry means there are endless jobs, candidates, and clients to construct my own network and build my own professional development.
What has been the greatest challenge in recruiting for the rail sector? Zach: The most challenging aspect of this role and sector, resulting from the ongoing skills shortage, is how difficult it is to retain candidate attention. You have to move so fast. The number of calls and emails sent out each day which don’t get a response, can be quite disheartening. But I have a great team to support me, and I know that I’m still learning. Erin: We experienced the talent shortage first hand within rail recruitment. When I initially started at ARM it was just myself and Wayne on the team, and
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the learning curve was so steep. But now we’ve added five new members to the team, and everything is so much more manageable – I feel on top of everything again. I think the most challenging element can be client expectations. Most of the time I feel able and equipped to fit their requirements, but you do get the odd client looking for some sort of unicorn, and when they don’t receive this, they close the role. It’s so frustrating.
Zach Howgill.
What have you gained through this apprenticeship?
Erin Holland.
Zach: This apprenticeship has boosted my confidence - not only in my ability to thrive in a full time work environment, but also in my communication skills. I now make so many phone calls to complete strangers at all hours of the day. My time management has also been completely overhauled -not that I had much of a choice in this job! Erin: In my interview at ARM I was a nervous wreck – this is a massive office, full of new faces, and I was previously not
