Hard-working apprentices at paint coatings company do more than it says on the tin.
For Dacrylate Paints’ managing director Sharon Harte, the message is clear: “Apprentices are at the heart of our business and as a local employer, we are committed to giving young people the employment opportunities for the future.”
The three-generations family business, based in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, was established just after the war by Sharon’s grandfather CH Morton. Originally specialising in domestic paints, this six-acre site now concentrates on supplying industrial and decorative paint coatings to construction and manufacturing sectors nationwide and to Northern Ireland and Eire and have been proud Royal Warrant Holders since 1986.
Dacrylate offers one of the widest ranges of high-performance coatings in the industry, covering a broad spectrum of applications and customer requirements.
Under Sharon’s leadership, the company employs over 50 staff, including a burgeoning intake of award-winning apprentices through West Nottinghamshire College.
Sharon said: “We’ve enjoyed a successful relationship with the college for some six years, bringing new chapters to our business thanks to taking on apprentices in a range of areas. We’ve been so well-supported by West Notts and apprenticeship manager Karen has always guided us well, offering us an outstanding apprenticeship scheme, which we’re very proud to have achieved numerous awards for.”
Brannon Lee has achieved great success during her four years at Dacrylate.
Sharon merits the apprenticeship route as a way of new employees developing their confidence and energy and motivation towards work. She added: “It’s immensely rewarding to offer apprentices the experience of working at this organisation and follow their journeys over time.
“We have a diverse aged workforce, and we create jobs for young people that align the evolving skills of the individuals to the imperatives of the business . Historically, manufacturing is a male-dominated, but we do have a determination to balance women in the company at all levels to achieve gender parity and make progressive change. Both our marketing lead Diana Rowland and newly graduated apprentice Brannan Lee have undertaken the Nottingham Trent University’s (NTU) Women in Leadership programme and have benefitted greatly.”
For 24-year-old Brannon Lee, starting at Dacrylate four years ago, was a little daunting. It was, in her words: “My first proper job and the first interview I’d ever done.”
At her interview, it was apparent that she’d be better suited to the accounts team role, instead of the laboratory role which she’d applied for. She joined Dacrylate in this business admin role, taking up the Level 2 Business Administration Apprenticeship alongside her new job.
Brannon, of Kirkby-in-Ashfield, said: “It was nerve-wracking. I didn’t know anything about chemicals or paint or even how to print things to size! But I was interested in the job and I soon learnt the skills and I made it work for me.
“Motivation is key to succeeding. If you want to study, if you want to do well in your job, then this attitude helps you to settle in and achieve success.”
And succeed she did, earning the British Coatings Federation’s Apprentice of the Year title in 2019 and moving into a new role in the company, within the purchasing team.
“I completed my business admin apprenticeship and had the chance to move into the purchasing team. I’d been used to placing orders and speaking to suppliers, so I gave it a chance and that’s when I applied to study the Level 4 CIPS apprenticeship through college again. I didn’t really have much knowledge about what the process of procurement meant. I didn’t know how to negotiate, the processes of ordering goods, but this new apprenticeship showed me how.”
She attended college every Wednesday afternoon for a year where she met other people from various industries. Brannon found it “useful to hear other people’s stories of their working lives and practices.”
Her confidence grew and success continued as she was offered the role of procurement manager at Dacrylate in June last year and achieved the full CIPS apprenticeship. She confidently works with suppliers to negotiate price deals, creating partnerships to ensure the company is achieving value for money.
"Sharon and Mark are both incredibly encouraging, and their appreciation of my hard work motivates me even more."
Brannon added: “A lot goes on behind the scenes within procurement which people don’t realise, but I am confident with my role and I work very closely at Director level, always getting their best advice and guidance.”
Her keenness to continue learning hasn’t waned either, having studied on the Women in Leadership programme through NTU, which she said was: “really interesting and very rewarding and a valuable thing to experience as a new female manager in a male-dominated industry.” Brannon is now embarking on her next level of study in Project Management.
Throughout her job and her studies, Brannon feel appreciated, which has always kept her focused. “My tutor Astrid at the college would visit and check that my day-to-day work was in order and she made sure I was understanding my assignments. As I didn’t have any previous job experience it was important to have her close by to learn from her industry experience.
“Sharon and Mark are both incredibly encouraging, and their appreciation of my hard work motivates me even more.”
"I was in the sixth form and I just didn’t enjoy it. I stuck it out and got my A-Levels but I knew I wanted to do something entirely different"
Working closely with Brannon in the procurement team are apprentices Joe Urwin, 25, accounts administrator, who is studying on the Level 3 Business Administration Apprenticeship and 21-year-old Josh Milward of Sutton-in-Ashfield.
Josh joined the company in the summer of 2020 as finance and procurement assistant. He’d been studying his Level 3 AAT apprenticeship at an accountants practice but was furloughed due to Covid and was subsequently made redundant.
He said: “West Nottinghamshire College put me in touch with Dacrylate and I was successful in my interview and got this job. I’m now completing the Level 4 AAT Apprenticeship whilst working in the offices here. I go to college one day a week and get brilliant support from tutors over MS Teams if I need it and have always got the offer of help from my tutors with my portfolio.”
Having always been “good with numbers” Josh feels this role suits him perfectly. His job typically sees him dealing with purchase invoicing, working on a range of projects, filing orders and dealing with busy month-end accounts.
He added: “Since I began here my confidence with talking to customers and suppliers has really improved. I’ve picked up more tasks and responsibility which is great.”
Josh agrees that everyone is different in their approach to learning, but certainly feels that a college apprenticeship is the way forward. He said: “Some people really want to go to university. I was in the sixth form and I just didn’t enjoy it. I stuck it out and got my A-Levels but I knew I wanted to do something entirely different.
“I’d rather be working and earning money whilst studying, rather than having to go to university to study and build up debts. I am happy with my job and we’ve spoken briefly about what’s next in terms of moving forward after my current studies.
“I’d be open to taking more professional qualifications such as human resources, as I’ve started picking up a few tasks. This way of learning in the workplace on an apprenticeship pathway totally suits me.”
Joe Urwin, of Kirkby-in-Ashfield gives equal positive feedback about his experience at Dacrylate. Having joined the company almost two years ago through the government’s Kickstart programme for just six month, he’s now a permanent employee working in the procurement office.
Josh is hoping to take on a human resources qualification next.
The Kickstart programme provided companies with funding through the government scheme to create work experience opportunities for out of work 16 to 24-year-olds. Sharon worked closely with Ashfield District Council and provided multiple Kickstart placements for local young people with an ambition to provide permanent employment and apprenticeship frameworks.
Now a full-time accounts administrator Joe applies his Level 3 Business Administration Apprenticeship to his daily accounts work.
He said: “My apprenticeship assignments go hand in hand with the work I do here. I can really apply those skills and discover new ways of doing things on accounts spreadsheets which otherwise I wouldn’t have found. My studies are mainly online and my college tutor meets me over MS Teams to support me with progress and any queries. It’s a seamless process and totally works for me.”
Joe’s role is busy, dealing mainly with accounts checking, posting invoices and working accurately on the sales tracker, statements and spreadsheets. He is due to complete the apprenticeship this summer and is welcoming the option of taking up further studies to bolster and develop his job role in the future.
He said: “As a young person starting out looking for employment, it can often be a struggle as companies want you to have previous experience. If you’ve never worked before, this is an obstacle. With an apprenticeship, you’re naturally getting that experience – learning as you work. I’ve always like the idea of working in business and accounts and it was a struggle to get that lead into a job, but now I’ve opened that doorway.
“I’m preferring this route rather than going to university with the high possibility of getting into debt and many years of training before you’re actually employed.
"Apprenticeships are definitely the way to go – I would always recommend this route to people.."
“I’m earning a wage, my training is paid for, and I’m getting experience from people in the workplace and my college tutors. Apprenticeships are definitely the way to go – I would always recommend this route to people.”
Harry Day, 22, from Sutton-in-Ashfield also joined Dacrylate through the Kickstart scheme in 2021. Harry began within customer services and processing orders. He said: “I’ve since been trained on the technical side things, learning more about how paints actually work, rather than just selling them. It’s good to be able to progress in this area. I’m definitely doing a lot more than I used to.”
Harry studied a marketing course through West Nottinghamshire College and then a digital marketing course last year, rather than on the traditional apprenticeship pathway. This saw him attend college one day a week for six weeks with online training included.
He said: “I really enjoy it here because my role is varied. I used to process a lot of orders and design and print labels. Now it’s more technical and I get to deal with any issues with paint or delivery matters and I speak to customers a lot more and learning lots about the company.”
Working closely on the technical side of the business is Riece Joynes, 21, from Bulwell, who is a laboratory quality control technician apprentice.
Through this apprenticeship his work is assessed in the workplace by a company called Tiro, who offer STEM apprenticeships, with the programme delivered through West Nottinghamshire College.
Riece joined in April 2021, introduced through a company called SRG, specialists in recruiting to STEM roles, in laboratories. He said: “They knew I’d be interested in doing something scientific as previously I’d been working at Nottingham College as a lab technician, but it was very heavily based around administration. For as long as I can remember I’ve been interested in science.”
Riece tests the paint products straight from the factory floor, ensuring that the paints have been made to the exacting specifications.
"My advice for anyone considering an apprenticeship is to go for it. You’ll get to do practical work and that is split with learning."
He added: “I test a myriad of paints from water-based paints to aerosols. The standards our paints have to meet are high, and my coursework also has to meet similarly high standards too.
“There are several behavioural units on the apprenticeship such as good lab practice, good manufacturing practice, following COSHH rules and following the various atmospheric explosive regulations. I have to follow all the general safety aspects that anyone who works in a lab needs to follow.”
Riece receives support from his tutor Nathan who is always on hand to support with any course-related issues. He also has a mentor who oversees his work on the apprenticeship at Dacrylate. Additional advice comes to him thanks to Michael who is in charge of the laboratory, who also joined after A-Levels and has progressed through training and hard work.
Riece, who received special commendation at the British Coatings Federation’s Apprentice of the Year awards in 2022, is taking up additional studies in his own time.
“I’m doing a paint-related course through the British Coatings Federation.
“I love working here and enjoy getting to grips with all the equipment and learning new things. I’ve been curious about science all my life so to get to do this every day is brilliant.
“My advice for anyone considering an apprenticeship is to go for it. You’ll get to do practical work and that is split with learning. This method really broadens your knowledge and it expands your way of thinking in terms of learning the theory of your job and actually doing it.”
Riece is motivated by scientific tasks, which he performs in his role in the laboratory.
Head of the college’s employer engagement team, Karen Milward, said: “It’s a great pleasure to see Brannon, Josh, Joe, Harry and Riece flourishing under the guidance of the Dacrylate family and the apprenticeship scheme. It’s clear to see that within the company, progression opportunities are made available regularly and supportive training is sought with the full commitment of the leadership team.
“Having worked with Dacrylate Paints for several years, it has been a privilege to see the locality benefit from exciting new positions as the business continues to evolve naturally over time and via ongoing industry innovation. We’re excited to see what the future holds for the current apprentices and those that may join in the future.
“As a provider, it’s vital that our wider educational offer supports local employers and their continuous need for new talent. Our employer advisory boards offer employers a valuable voice and we encourage participation at this level across all sectors.”
Want to become an apprentice with Dacrylate Paints?
Dacrylate Paints are always on the lookout for apprentices to join their organisation, following the success to date. Dacrylate currently have a number of supported vacancies for apprenticeships similar to the ones featured. To find out more contact