With 2 apprentices ending their bursaries in the last few months, we currently have 7 apprentices under a bursary with 2 more going through the enrolment process and others joining the list.
All our apprentices receiving bursaries are overseen by mentors who are in regular contact with both the apprentice and the employing company on a quarterly basis with at least one physical visit once a year. The mentors in collaboration with the Clerk, Mr Mundin, ensure that the firm formally reports twice a year on the progress of the apprentice.
The role of the mentor is to have oversight on behalf of the Trust, to ensure the positive progress of the trainee, and that the bursary is being spent wisely and effectively. The mentors also ensure that the bursary recipient is employed within government legislation and employment law, and they are following a suitable training programme.
The Trust encourages all bursary recipients to apply to the Certification Panel of the Worshipful Company of Gunmakers once they have completed their training. This then leads to an accreditation as a Gunmaker and encourages a long-term relationship by both parties with the Worshipful Company of Gunmakers. Ultimately the recipient is encouraged then to join the Company as a working gunmaker.
As mentioned briefly above, it is expected that the mentor will have a level of oversight to ensure that the employer is conforming to the statuary legal obligations as defined in employment law, health and safety and other such instruments defined in law that a responsible employer needs to conform to.
