Dale rewarded with permanent role after completing successful apprenticeship

An apprentice gas engineer has secured a permanent role within the business after impressing company bosses.
 
Dale Green, 42, successfully completed his 15-month apprenticeship at North East heating and renewable specialists 0800 Repair and has been rewarded with a full-time permanent role.
 
Dale joined the company in 2024 and is now fully qualified and working as a service and repair engineer, working in people’s homes on behalf of the firms social housing clients.
 
A welder fabricator by trade, he worked for the same company for over 20 years in various roles but decided on a completely different career and thought an apprenticeship would be a good route to gaining experience and potentially securing a permanent role, and the hard work has paid off.
 
During his apprenticeship, he attended Ignite Training in North Shields one day per week and eventually secured his End Point Assessment (EPA), which enables him to attend appointments on his own, whereas previously, he attended with a mentor.
 
The EPA is the final independent test for apprentices in England, where he was evaluated to see if he achieved occupational competence in the field.
 
Dale said: “I feel like this job is exactly what I should be doing and proves that apprenticeships provide a route to securing a full-time role. I previously worked for the same company for a long time and needed a change – a fresh challenge. I felt I was stuck in a bit of a rut but, after discussing my options with friends, I saw a vacancy with 0800 Repair and haven’t looked back.
 
“They have been brilliant in supporting me with my apprenticeship and I am also very grateful to Ignite Training too. Age is just a number and shouldn’t be a barrier to learning a new career or gaining additional qualifications. I enjoy the challenges of the job and working and meeting new customers each day and feel I want to give something back to the company for supporting me on my journey.”
 
Michael Pallister, Operations Director at 0800 Repair said: “We are delighted for Dale and he has shown commitment and dedication to succeed from the very first day and throughout his apprenticeship. He is always learning and has shown willingness to progress and be successful, so he fully deserves this opportunity and I wish him all the best. He is a great asset to the business.
 
Emma Garrick, Director at Ignite Training, said: “Dale joined us as an apprentice on the Level 3 Gas Engineering Apprenticeship from 0800. From the very start, he was engaged, motivated, and eager to learn as much as possible about the industry.
 
“As an apprentice, Dale has been diligent and conscientious, consistently pushing himself to develop his skills and knowledge to the highest standard. This has been clearly reflected in his weekly performance in class. What has been particularly impressive is his ability to encourage and motivate others within the group, contributing positively to the overall learning environment.
 
“Dale has achieved to a very high level and demonstrates all the characteristics and attributes needed to succeed at the top of the gas industry. He is a credit to 0800 and an excellent example of how it is possible to retrain at any stage and fully commit to the opportunity.”