Penarth MP and AM meet British Gas apprentices

CARDIFF South and Penarth’s Labour MP and AM paid a visit to the British Gas contact centre in Cardiff, to meet up with a team of apprentice customer service advisers.

Stephen Doughty MP and Vaughan Gething AM met members of the team, who joined the company last May after completing pre-training with ACT Training, in Splott. They now work as part of a 1,300 strong team and take calls from British Gas customers right across Britain.

They were the first apprentices to be employed at the contact centre in Cardiff, following a work placement programme targeted at young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs).

The scheme was offered by British Gas in partnership with The Prince’s Trust, ACT Training, and the environmental charity Global Action Plan (GAP), to help give young people access to vital work experience to help them find a job.

Stephen said: “It was great to meet the apprentices, who have really made the most of the fantastic opportunity this scheme has provided. It was a pleasure to see them at work, and to hear about their success. The scheme has been hugely positive for all concerned.”

Vaughan added: “I was very impressed with the apprentices. They were all unemployed before joining the scheme, which was helped with Jobs Growth Wales money from the Welsh Government. It was especially pleasing to see the partnership with The Prince’s Trust and ACT, which has helped to deliver job opportunities for these young people.”

Lynda Campbell, British Gas Regional Director for Wales, said: “We were pleased to welcome Stephen and Vaughan to meet our first Welsh customer service apprentices. We’re committed to creating training and job opportunities for young people in Cardiff, so we can provide excellent service for our customers.”