News and Updates

Arco has been announced as one of the top 10 family businesses in the UK for employing apprentices and promoting apprenticeships for professional development.

The fifth-generation family business received the prestigious status as part of a list compiled by Family Business United, the global voice of the family business community, which ranked Arco as number 10 in the country as part of its report for 2022 looking at the number of apprentices in the family business sector.

The list consists of a range of companies, including JCT600, JCB, Portakabin Ltd and Hodgkinson Builders.

Those who made it to the top 10 list represent the best in terms of the number of apprentices, the creation of new apprenticeships and the number of apprentices completing and graduating from their apprenticeship programmes.

Arco currently has 10 apprentices at the business, working in a variety of areas, including finance, digital, customer services and safety, health and environment, as well as eight new apprentices that started this year.

Darren Ford, Head of Organisational Development and Learning and Development at Arco, said:

"As a fifth-generation family business, we are incredibly proud to feature in the Family Business United list of family business apprentice employers.

"Over the past five years, we have built up our Future Experts programme and have seen 34 apprenticeships completed and 29 that are ongoing. Plans are also in place for a further 30.

"Helping to nurture future talent and further develop the knowledge and skills of our colleagues plays an important role in the future aspirations of the business and will support our ambitions for growth in the future.

"We're seeing a greater uptake from a broader range of business areas now, so I'm very excited to see both our internal and external apprentice numbers grow over these coming months and years."

Paul Andrews, Founder and CEO of Family Business United, said:

"Family businesses are innovative and entrepreneurial, and it is great to see so many providing apprenticeships within their organisations.

"This inaugural report has clearly demonstrated the commitment of family firms like Arco who continue to invest in the next generation of their staff and provide apprenticeship opportunities in various areas of the business.

"Arco is a great family business with a long history which, in part, is down to the continued innovation and evolution of their business. It is great to give recognition to a business that continues to create new opportunities and innovative ways to engage with the next generation of employees, providing them with great career opportunities."

More than 300 children, young people and their families in the Glasgow and South Lanarkshire area have been supported as part of a partnership between Arco, the UK's leading safety company, and children and family charity, Action for Children.

Following Arco's success in securing a contract to supply products and services to NHS Scotland, the fifth-generation family business linked up with Action for Children to fund two new roles supporting young people and disabled children.

Action for Children supports children and young people across the UK, providing practical and emotional care and support, ensuring their voices are heard, and campaigning to bring lasting improvements to their lives.

The partnership with Arco has funded the recruitment of a Community Support Worker and a Trainer/Qualifications Assessor within the organisation.

The additional Community Support Worker is based at the recently refurbished Silverton Community Hub, a centre specially designed to support children and young people with complex learning difficulties and a range of physical health needs. Staff at the community hub provide personalised support, helping children to overcome barriers that may hinder their involvement in the local community. Staff facilitate access to local community-based facilities, resources, networks and amenities, including swimming pools, gyms, youth groups, green spaces and museums. This empowers the children to pursue their own personal interests and preferences while growing their confidence, social skills and reducing isolation by supporting children to form new friendships. They provide regular support to parents, siblings and other family members too.

The Trainer/Qualifications Assessor is supporting Action for Children's Youth Employability Project, a scheme that aims to help young people breakdown barriers to employment. Such barriers are addressed through valuable employability skills and vocational training, developing their aspirations, ambition and future job goals by encouraging their interest in learning. For some of the young people, the support they have been offered has helped them get the first qualification they've ever had.

Andy Owen, Head of Healthcare at Arco, said:

"Arco is passionate about supporting the communities we call home and helping children and young people achieve.

"We are really proud of what our partnership with Action for Children has accomplished to date.

"The new members of staff are delivering tangible benefits and life-changing opportunities for children, young people and families in the Glasgow and South Lanarkshire area by helping to improve wellbeing, quality of life and personal outcomes for disabled children and by developing employability skills and vocational training for young people so they can progress into chosen careers."

Grant McFarlane, Senior Relationships Manager at Action for Children, said:

"Arco has provided direct financial support where Action for Children needed it most. There's a wonderful lasting legacy for children, young people and families thanks to Arco's funding."

In addition to the funding allocated by Arco, colleagues from its healthcare team recently spent time helping to transform the garden at one of Action for Children's short break centres so that vulnerable children and young people can play in a nurturing environment where they feel safe and are given the opportunity to thrive.

A video has been created to highlight the work of Arco's partnership with Action for Children and to demonstrate how, as a business, Arco can help customers achieve their social value goals.

Arco has launched its first ever dedicated graduate placement programme as part of its ongoing commitment to developing the next generation of talent in the safety industry.

From hundreds of initial applications, Charlotte Andrews, Tom Newman, Olivia Richardson and Harry Shepherd have joined the fifth-generation family business as part of the 18-month paid programme, based at Arco's new office and collaborative workspace at Blackfriargate, in Hull.

Developed in-house by Arco's Learning and Development Team, the programme will see the graduates develop their skills and knowledge within diverse areas of the business, including in finance, the commercial team, marketing and HR, and acquire further relevant qualifications in their areas of specialism.

Darren Ford, Head of Learning and Development at Arco, said:

"This is the first time we have run a dedicated graduate recruitment programme, which further demonstrates our business' commitment to developing talent.

"It's fantastic that we were able to attract so many high-calibre applications and we're delighted to have successfully recruited four exceptional candidates in Charlotte, Tom, Olivia and Harry to Arco.

"They will bring fresh ideas and ways of working to our business while we offer them an invaluable early career development opportunity in return."

One of those taking part in the programme is Olivia Richardson, a Media and Screen Studies graduate from the University of Hull, who will be joining Arco's marketing team as a Marketing Graduate.

Olivia said:

"Having lived in Hull all my life, I was always aware of Arco and knew that they had a strong reputation of being a good company to work for and that they really contribute to the local community, so I knew that it would be a company that would fit with my own values.

"The graduate assessment day I took part in for the programme was a real challenge and pushed me out of my comfort zone, but I really enjoyed it and was excited to be chosen as one of the four graduates.

"After completing my course at university, I had established my own online business and this project had introduced me to digital marketing and the principles on how to create and grow a brand. I knew at that time that this was something that I wanted to explore further as a career.

"During my placement I will be dividing my time between three different teams, something I am really looking forward to as it will mean developing a variety of new skills and learning from different experiences. I think this will be a very valuable opportunity to have at the start of my career, as I can explore different roles and decide which area I would like to specialise in.

"Upon completing the graduate programme, it would be great if I could eventually go on to help others do the same thing as they start out in their careers."

Arco has a strong history in attracting and nurturing talent, including through its Future Experts programme, which has supported nearly 60 apprentices since its launch in 2016.

It is hoped that the Graduate Placement Programme will become a regular avenue for recruitment for Arco in the future and that the placements will provide a platform for career development at the business.

On behalf of the entire Arco Family, we are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. We offer our heartfelt condolences to the Royal Family at this time of profound sadness and loss.

As we enter a period of national mourning, we reflect upon the unprecedented life of selfless service that Her Majesty lived, shining as a beacon of hope, dignity and forbearance throughout a period marked by unprecedented change and upheaval.

Throughout her 70-year reign, marked by her Platinum Jubilee this year, she was a remarkable demonstration of a life truly dedicated to public service.

Through her unwavering sense of duty and responsibility to every community within our nation and across the Commonwealth, she set an example for leaders around the world.

We take inspiration from her and her late husband’s commitment to supporting young people and future generations across the globe.

We are thankful for the decades of service to the nation and the Commonwealth that Her Majesty so selflessly gave.

Thomas Martin, Chairman
David Evison, Managing Director

Arco has awarded £10,000 to Hull-based charity CatZero, an organisation which creates unique employability programmes for young people, families, single parents and adults to help them move onto employment, education, or training. The donation will be used to assist with the maintenance costs of the charity's yacht, which is used to deliver a range of training courses and presents the opportunity of sailing on a 72-foot challenge yacht for eight days.

Arco's Community Panel donated the funds as part of their longstanding relationship with CatZero; the business has previously bought and sponsored the sail onboard the yacht and allocates a £5,000 a year fund for the charity to spend on products with Arco. CatZero has historically supported Arco with teambuilding sessions for colleagues from the business' Learning and Development and Senior Management Teams.

Anna Harvatt, Community Engagement Manager at Arco, said:

"Arco has a long-standing relationship with CatZero and is proud to be continuing this partnership.

"In addition to the funds for yacht maintenance and new equipment for 2022/2023, we're working closely with CatZero on their latest employability programme that gives participants the skills to enter the world of work as well as showcase some of the exciting careers available at Arco.

"Working with charities like CatZero also provides opportunities for our colleagues to volunteer their time and expertise to support others. Showing participants, the world of work, can provide the spark they need to get back into employment, education, or training."

Sailing on CatZero's yacht is fundamental to delivering programmes to those in need of support across the region and at least 120 people will benefit from the programmes each year. The charity delivers activities that address mental health awareness, health and wellbeing, employability, and help build new skills. Arco's recent donation will enable the replacement of a much-needed on-board generator, allowing many people from deprived communities to continue to benefit from life changing experiences for the foreseeable future.

Pete Tighe, Operations and Partnership Manager at CatZero, said:

"CatZero is proud and thankful to be supported by Arco. The support that it gives will help with the sustainability of the charity, moreover, the passion of its staff shines through and will benefit the participants in the joint working that we are planning to undertake."

Arco is committed to inspiring young people to achieve their full potential and to enhance local life, making the communities they serve better places in which to live, work and invest. It does this through charity and community support, donating 1% of pre-tax profits each year.