Charlie Rollason started his career as a time served apprentice and ultimately ran and operated his own agricultural engineering and machinery sales business holding franchises for major manufacturers. He is now the Aftersales Training Business Development Manager at AGCO UK Ltd, responsible for developing the manufacturer led AGCO apprenticeship scheme delivered in partnership with rural land based further education colleges. Based in Warwickshire, he is also an Edge Trustee. We asked him how starting as an apprentice had helped shape his career.
1. The vocational 'hands on' skills that I learned from skilled mentors some 40 years ago are still some of my most valuable assets. No one can take those away from me, and I have great pleasure in passing them on. Some things you just cant learn from a book...or even from a YouTube video for that matter!
2. When on my apprenticeship I learned so much about business by operating at the coal face and experiencing first-hand the trials & tribulations of attempting to make profit from the activities. I learned the value of efficiency and the necessity for organisation and just getting the job done.
3. Having started at the 'bottom' I learned to appreciate my place on the hierarchical tree and valued every step of my progression. Too much too soon is not always the right way to progress.
4. I learnt to 'rub shoulders' with people from all levels of business and society. I learned that you should speak to people on their level and always treat people as you would wish to be treated.
5. Contrary to popular misconception, I found that my successful completion of a vocational apprenticeship was recognised by many people as a badge of honour. That is still true today in my current global corporate environment.
6. It was because of my career having started with an apprenticeship that some 40 years later I got asked by a leading global corporation to develop a brand-new apprenticeship scheme for them - and I regard that as one of my finest achievements.
7. It is because of my apprenticeship career path that I got invited on to the board of trustees for Edge Foundation, where I interact with academics and educationalists and feel fulfilled by the mutual respect that we all have for each other. And where I am always happy to offer my point of view.
Written by
Charlie Rollason, Aftersales Training Business Development Manager, AGCO UK Ltd