The word intern, or internship conjures up images of starry eye’d young people, willing to work for nothing at the Houses of Parliament, banks, newspapers or TV studios during which time they will be bored out of their skulls, abused, keeping the staffers plied with coffee and rarely learning anything of value.
In reality, it’s another word for work-experience. Many dealers will have been approached by a careers master (if there is such a thing these days) with a list of pupils to be placed in the ‘big-wide world’. Along they come, you can’t really spare a buckshee supervisor and they drift along for a week or two, auditing paper clips or polishing the parts counter. But don’t worry, you’ve done your duty.
Staff recruitment is the biggest issue being faced by most dealerships (along with the weather). Many do work closely with schools, providing pupils with tasters of the industry. It’s often like prospecting for gold. Shake the sieve, remove the rubbish and hope a nugget shines out.
Perhaps we ought to reset our sights? Actively seek out the high achievers in schools and colleges and universities, those whom we can see would make management material if nurtured properly.
Forget the industry as it has been, or as we know it now. It’s going to be different, not only in the ag sector where new technology abounds, but also in grasscare where innovation and marketing skills will be required to succeed in an evolving retail environment.
For too long, jobs in our industry have been perceived to be in the lower echelons of careers. “He only mends tractors”. “He’s a mower salesman” - hardly words to stir the ambitions of likely recruits.
It’s a real issue faced by other professions. Take groundsman, who are still perceived as simply wielders of a spade and white-line marker. Tell that to someone like Paul Burgess, who studied at Myerscough College and today is Director of Grounds at Real Madrid C.F, via Blackpool FC and Arsenal.
Yes we need to attract those at the start of their career to be technicians and support staff, but we should also actively promote the stars of our industry, the huge opportunities and the exciting new challenges to attract those with possible managerial potential who may not have ever considered our industry as an option.
Open their eyes. We know how good we are, sometimes we forget to tell others!
I’m stepping in this week as Steve is moving house/office and has yet to relocate the kettle and computer!
