Apprenticeships in franchising: Learning on the job

Bryan McMorrine, Managing Director of Right at Home Central London, has employed two apprentices since opening his franchise in 2016 and says they are invaluable to his team.

Bryan McMorrine’s Right at Home business had grown to such an extent, he realised he needed extra help within the office. Looking into his options, Bryan decided employing apprentices within his business would be the best solution. It would allow him to continue making a difference to his Clients, every day, in a positive way, as well as enabling the next generation to gain valuable work experience.

“Initially, taking on an apprentice was to relieve my pressure, as the business was growing so well. I started with one, Basil, and a year later, took on a second apprentice, Nicole. Basil came into the business with no office experience and took on responsibilities such as payroll, invoicing, financial reporting, and recruitment. He exceeded all expectations. Basil had excellent A-Level qualifications but had chosen to not go to university, given the high fees and uncertainty of securing a job.”

Nicole didn’t have any experience either. However, she held an NVQ3 in Health and Social Care, so had good industry knowledge. “I needed someone I could trust who would focus on our Client service reviews, and all Client documentation. Nicole has a good understanding of the Client’s needs and what work needs doing day-to-day. She has also proven to be extremely talented with Care Coordinating, which is a very hard role to recruit.”

Right at Home offers outstanding home-based care services, which enable Clients to remain in complete control, whilst protecting their independence by living in their own home environment. To us, quality care is about going the extra mile, just as we would for our own families. Everyone who comes into Right at Home shares this common value to help others in our local communities, whether business owner or employee.

Bryan firmly believes learning ‘on the job’ is the future for education, business and recruitment. “I worked for five years before going to university, as I wasn’t entirely sure about going. I look back at what I learned during my four-year degree, and what Basil has learned by doing a Business Administration Apprenticeship, and I feel he’s had a far better pathway and been given a wider knowledge of the business world. It’s not just about reading from a text book, it’s real-life learning on the job.”

In terms of goals for his business, Bryan is confident he will employ more apprentices in the future. “We will definitely continue to use apprentices. Nicole and Basil are adding far more value to the business than we thought. I can see we have a need for more staff, and in time, will look at bringing in another apprentice to cover more admin and bookkeeping support.”