text: Apprentices get a customer's perspective at M&U Academy Day - Mitchell & Urwin
  Mitchell & Urwin › News › Apprentices get a customer's perspective at M&U Academy Day
  On 11 November, 22 Mitchell & Urwin apprentices and managers headed to the Taylor Wimpey head office in Wakefield for an Academy Day. We hold these training days to give our apprentices insight into what goes on behind the scenes in different areas of the building industry. By understanding the challenges facing our customers for example, our apprentices will better appreciate their needs and are able to serve them even better.
  Our team was met by Jonathan Webster, Commercial Director for Taylor Wimpey, before being given a very informative presentation on their approach to customer service. Josh from the Taylor Wimpey Customer Service team explained the many steps the company takes to ensure its customers are happy with their new homes and that expectations are met. At Mitchell & Urwin, we strive for similarly high standards of service for our customers, so it was great for our apprentices to hear this from a client's perspective too. Next the apprentices had the opportunity to tour around the Architect, Engineer and Surveyors departments with the chance to see first hand what goes on. They got to ask lots of questions and learnt a huge amount about the challenges that come with planning, regulations and the sheer level of detail put into the architectural drawings. After lunch, the team had a health & safety presentation as a reminder of how to stay safe on site. Safety is a huge priority for us, so this is a topic we revisit often. Finally, we wrapped up the day with one-on-ones for each apprentice to follow up on their site and college progress. We also checked in to make sure our new apprentices are settling into their new roles.
  Lisa Robinson, HR Manager for Mitchell & Urwin commented: "The whole team at Taylor Wimpey delivered a fantastic day. The Apprentices were provided with the opportunity to experience first-hand what it takes to deliver a quality family home and received valuable insight into the different departments, from the engineering stage to how outstanding customer service is delivered. The Apprentices said that the day was incredibly beneficial and they were amazed by how much planning and resources goes into building homes. With the partnership of Taylor Wimpey, the Apprentices are receiving unequivocal support with their learning and development which will undoubtedly help them to achieve their apprenticeship and have a positive and long lasting impact in their future careers."
  Our apprentices found the day really informative and useful. Here's what some of them had to say:
  "The Academy day was really useful to see everything behind the scenes that you don't get to see on site. One thing you don't see on site is how the customers feel about their homes. It was really interesting to see how Taylor Wimpey treats their customers and deal with them in a positive fashion.' Harris Fox, Apprentice
  "It was really good to see the process of what happens before we even arrive on site. It was eye opening to see that the ground is tested and how the plans are designed and completed before we start to build the houses." Declan Hales, Apprentice
  "Speaking to the surveyors, I was really surprised about the level of detail that goes into the drawings, they even included the trees on all of the drawings." Ben Evans, Apprentice
  A big thank you to Taylor Wimpey for organising and hosting such an incredible day. It really was a fantastic opportunity for our apprentices to see first hand the infrastructure of a leading house builder.