Recently, our technician apprentice, Brandon Darvill, 18, was interviewed for Laundry and Cleaning Today alongside technical director Paul Hamilton, for a focus on apprenticeships, how they work, and how they benefit the apprentice and the employer. Here’s what we said…
Brandon’s interview
Tell us a little about what you’re doing at Regenex and its parent company Bulmer and Lumb, and what skills you’re learning? I divide my week between package dyeing for Bulmer and Lumb on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, and quality checking for Regenex on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Once a month I go to college at the Textile Centre of Excellence in Huddersfield, where I learn about all sorts of matters from health and safety to the history of textile processing. I’m into my second year of a Textile Manufacturing Operative Apprenticeship, with a cohort of about 20 other students at textile businesses in West Yorkshire where our sandstone filtered water offers the perfect conditions for working with wool, in particular.
What did you know about the industry before you joined? My dad is the sales director at Bulmer and Lumb so I’ve visited the factory since I was 12 years old. I was always curious, and felt at home with the people who work here, and picked up knowledge about fibres, manufactured and natural, and how they are handled. I liked the camaraderie and the environment.
How did you find out about this apprentice position? After leaving school I completed a car mechanics’ course at college and aimed to look for an apprenticeship in that field. I came to Regenex and Bulmer and Lumb temporarily but I got on well and demonstrated potential. I became a good timekeeper, willing to work early or late when required, and learned a lot about textiles and the heritage of the company. I felt proud to be carrying on that lineage. The managers spotted my potential and got me onto an apprenticeship scheme so that I could progress.
What has surprised you about working in the textile care industry? Processes are sometimes a lot more involved than they appear to be. I’ve been surprised at how in depth quality control needs to be and how the slightest flaw can really affect the linen. For dyeing, I just imagined diluting colour in water but there’s steam and temperature in careful combination to think about. If the result isn’t quite right there is always a way to correct it. It’s very satisfying.
What advice/ guidance would you give to someone who was looking to be an apprentice? I’d say get a part time job when you are at school or college. Ask around, including among family contacts like I did, though these are not essential. Try to work in more than one place so you can compare. Be curious and ask questions. The other important thing is to do your upmost to pass your maths and English GCSEs as these are important grounding for whatever you want to do in life.
Paul’s interview
How many apprentices do you have in the business? We currently have two, although one has progressed to a managerial role since completing the apprenticeship route, and is currently undertaking a skills bootcamp, by way of additional training.
When and why did you start an apprenticeship scheme? Our parent textile business, Bulmer and Lumb, has been utilising apprenticeships for the last 15 years – in fact we contributed to the creation of a specific textile training apprenticeship route. We helped to write the standard in collaboration with the Textile Centre of Excellence and the Society of Dyers and Colourists, with support from one of the Livery companies.
The theme for #NAW2025 is ‘Skills for Life’. What industry skills gaps do you think apprenticeships help to fill? We are fortunate to still have a great deal of textile experience through some very good technicians who are only too willing to pass this knowledge on, but the apprenticeship scheme serves to put this practical knowledge together and fill in the gaps, which are often missing. This is achieved through on-the-job learning, exposure to other organisations and allied activities, to give the apprentice a more rounded and thorough understanding of the industry.
What are the greatest benefits you’ve seen to having an apprentice on the team? I think most businesses, and certainly Regenex, is fairly repetitive in its daily operations. The benefit of adding apprentices to the team is that new ways of approaching old tasks can be initiated. In our case, this has sometimes included utilising better use of technology. If the right apprentices are employed, then a renewed energy and enthusiasm is adopted by the entire team.
What advice would you give to businesses that are thinking about welcoming an apprentice on board? Having been involved in schemes which are both highly technical and at operator level, I would suggest that on all cases, patience is essential. We have to remember that teenagers are not necessarily work ready, especially if they didn’t have a part time job while studying. In many instances, a certain amount of adjustment is required in the early days, but throughout the industry I have witnessed one-time apprentices taking on senior roles, and becoming the future of the industry.