TROWBRIDGE-based Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions has welcomed its latest group of new recruits as part of the leasing company’s aim to “Inspire the Next”.

The new apprentices, aged between 16-23 years old, are at the start of their 23-month apprenticeship, run in partnership with Wiltshire College, which will underwrite their professional qualification.

Over the next two years, each member will spend eight months in up to three separate departments including Service Delivery, Rental Solutions, Operations and Customer Experience.

Successful completion of the programme will see local residents Ellie Smith, Alex Caffreys-Gage, James Evans, Sarah Pearce and Ilana Fenby from the surrounding area achieve a Level 3 Diploma in Business Administration in conjunction with Wiltshire College.

Jon Lawes, managing director of Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions, said: “We are very proud to welcome these young adults to the teams here at Hitachi Capital.

“They have a fantastic opportunity to learn on the job which, in my opinion, offers valuable exposure and experience opportunities. Rather than just learning the theory, they will be putting it into practice in a fantastic environment.”

The new additions have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of their predecessors, with the previous twelve apprentices all becoming full time employees after qualifying.

Over the last two years, they worked and studied hard to earn a Customer Service Qualification and were rewarded with full time, permanent positions within the group.

Previous apprentice Tom Purser said: “When I joined, I remember feeling conscious of how big Hitachi Capital was and that there seemed to be too much to learn, however the experience was made easy by the helpfulness of the people around me.

“From being an apprentice, I learned a lot about the relationships between teams, as we moved regularly through departments.

“It was useful to understand how everyone works together to provide the service we offer. The support has been fantastic and all the apprentices stayed with Hitachi Capital after qualifying.”

The five apprentices will also be in prime position to apply for roles at Hitachi Capital, either internally or through the recently launched careers site at www.hitachicapital.co.uk/careers

Mr Lawes added: “All of the employees at Hitachi Capital look to ‘Inspire the Next’. This is one of the strongest examples we have of this and we really hope they will not only be inspired, but also go on to inspire others in the future.”