Scotland’s largest machinery ring, Ringlink (Scotland), is a growing business.
Increased commodity prices and an increased demand from its membership pushed throughput up 9.9% in the last year, with the result that the firm’s 25th anniversary year has ended on a record high.
Releasing the Laurencekirk business’ results for the year ending July 31, managing director Graham Bruce revealed that since its standing start back in 1988, the company has witnessed turnover grow to a healthy £42.72 million.
Over the 12 months, the company swelled to support 30 employees, including 20 frontline managers, four staff in the training office and a further five in admin support roles.
At peak times, these staff handled more than 50,000 calls each month, although the last quarter fell by 8,000 calls, courtesy of the dry weather spell negating much of the need for rearrangement calls.
Over the year, the firm dealt with more than 57,000 transactions with an average value of £740.
But also up 8% in the last year was Ringlink’s innovative training division, which with its passion for breaking new ground this year launched a new internship scheme.
In conjunction with Aberdeenshire Council, and set up with help from the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society Ltd (SAOS), the pilot year of the project commenced in June. By providing a route into work for school leavers the scheme seeks to address the skills deficit and bring new blood into the industry.
From 10 initial applications, six students were chosen to embark on the internship, which offers individualised learning and a highly practical, work-based programme.
The scheme puts the interns through a period of structured training, at Ringlink’s Laurencekirk offices, including the learning of health and safety, manual handling, first aid, a three-day tractor driving course and member business visits, followed by two days spent at the Royal Highland Show.
On completion of the induction, the interns are matched to farm mentors, who help to develop their practical skills and first hand farm work experience.
The training aspect of the internship costs in the region of £1,200. Interns are also employed by Ringlink Services on a six-month fixed term contract and are paid as per the agricultural wages schedule.
“The cost of training new or young staff is often a stumbling block for our members so this cost is borne from the scheme, by Ringlink and Aberdeen Council funds, and the interns are paid by us,” said Mr Bruce.
Mentors are then charged for the interns by Ringlink but at a rate which represents a 33% saving, thanks to the training fund.
At the end of the six-month internship, Ringlink hopes to place the intern into employment more often than not with their mentors, or otherwise with other Ringlink members.
Although the pilot was limited to Aberdeenshire applicants, Ringlink Scotland plans to lift the boundaries of the scheme for 2014 nation-wide.
The internships are not focused solely on academic ability but are instead intended to be about practical ability, enthusiasm and commitment.
They do require farmers to step forwards as mentors with whom the interns can come and work alongside, so Mr Bruce appealed for farmers or suppliers who might be interesting in such a role to step forwards.