Dunoon firm shows how apprentices can bring fresh energy to a company
Girard MD & Erin McGuinness
Greg Girard, the Dunoon-born and raised Managing Director of CX Services, has committed the company to the training of a new generation of Scottish youngsters as it accelerates its growth journey throughout the UK.
CX Services’ direct mail and marketing operations are headquartered in Dunoon and its first apprentice, Erin McGuinness, 21, has lived in the Argyllshire town all her life and joined CX Services straight from Dunoon Grammar School in April 2022.
She said: “It was my first full-time job and I have really enjoyed it and appreciated the opportunities offered to me by the training. The people I work with are terrific. It’s not often you find a job where everyone gets along so well.
The Digital Marketing Apprenticeship I am doing allows me to gain a diploma while working full time and earning an excellent wage. I not only work in the call centre answering and processing customer requests and orders, but I am also now an evening and weekends supervisor, supporting agents and answering their queries.
As I graduate, I would love the opportunity to manage the company’s social media platforms, as they are currently the most powerful marketing tool and continue to grow and evolve.”
Greg Girard said: “The decision to offer apprenticeships is something we have been working towards as we grow and Erin has fully justified it. She has shown enthusiasm, dedication and commitment and has become a real asset to the company.
“The programme will be a pathway for other employees to gain useful qualifications which they can use with the company or elsewhere. Apprentices create a real talent stream, from which not only business, but society as a whole, greatly benefits.”
Neurodivergent Riley Macrae-Duffy, 20, from Langholm in Dumfries and Galloway, has what was previously known as Asperger Syndrome and has been working as a print apprentice in CX Services’ warehouse since July 2023. He is doing an SVQ in digital print as part of his Modern Apprenticeship.
Riley said: “I was working in a bakery warehouse before and it was a good job. But I wanted to find a place where I could build a career, rather than just have a job. CX Services have offered me that opportunity, and I’m excited about continuing to grow my skills in digital printing.”
John Lamont, Technical Services Director at CX Services, who interviewed Riley for the apprenticeship role, said: “Riley is an asset to the organisation. His work ethic is outstanding. He puts 100% effort into everything he does. He has a great personality and is a fantastic team member.”
Scottish Apprenticeship Week is a nationwide celebration of apprenticeships and the benefits work-based learning brings to businesses, people and the economy. It highlights how apprenticeships create a competitive and capable workforce for Scotland.
A Modern Apprenticeship is a paid employment opportunity that combines on-the-job training with the pursuit of an industry-recognised qualification. A Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) is a work-based qualification that provides the skills and knowledge needed to perform a specific job.
CX Services has grown turnover by more than 40% to £1.7 million in the past year. Over the next five years, Mr Girard hopes to grow turnover further to £2.5 million, with significant jobs growth in the next two years.
Its customers include Scottish country clothing specialists the House of Bruar, life insurance and investments firm Scottish Friendly, membership organisation The Scotch Malt Whisky Society and Highland Broadband, which is delivering ultrafast full-fibre broadband across rural Scotland.
Credits by Asian Connect & Business Connect
