While 2020 was a year of change and resilience, 2021 is one of building for the future… and our developing team is a perfect case in point.

Following on from a recent award for Outstanding Growth in December, across our multi-discipline studio we have on-boarded a new member of staff every week in January all while supporting various routes to industry and a diverse range of backgrounds. From apprentices to KTPs we’re seeing our workforce continue to develop into a rich, vibrant and resilient Bloc team.

We’re inspiring growth, investing in talent and creating a proactive workforce in 2021.

Responding to the shift in digital engagement witnessed across our client sectors, our web team multiplied in size in January and we saw a number of recruits join our creative tech departments, including modelling and arch viz, as well as sales and marketing. We saw school leavers join our team and interns and apprentices promoted, welcoming a wealth of new faces, new ideas and new skills to match.

“At the heart of our creativity are our people – that’s why we’re committed to building and nurturing the best talent. It’s their skills and attitude behind the scenes that powers the engine and makes us ‘Bloc’.” – Director Chris Hotham

Combining research, knowledge sharing, and leading innovation across sectors, we also recently welcomed a new KTP associate Aamir to our growing research team. These partnerships are a cornerstone to Bloc’s R&D capabilities, with this latest seeing us lift off into space and open up tech to new audiences and industries.

Industry professionals and university recruitment streams, particularly our local establishments, are similarly helping us change the game and break technological ground. Leading the way in our prestigious and high-profile projects, they’re harnessing experience and pioneering new tools to help our blue-chip clients stay resilient in an unpredictable landscape.

But that’s not all. They’re also nurturing and inspiring the leaders of the future in our growing apprenticeship programme, one that we’re particularly proud to support…

In a month where we’re focusing on and celebrating this diverse route to industry, we’ve been exploring the importance of apprenticeships, sharing our apprentices’ journeys and revealing their top tips.

As Bloc Family Director, I believe apprenticeships are a great way for businesses to grow their talent. They provide some of the rising stars who will become the business leaders of tomorrow. And they’re a great opportunity to bring diverse experiences and a fresh perspective to drive businesses forward.

At Bloc we believe engaging with these students at a young age is so important. Nurturing their journey means we can inspire and attract them to work with a business like ours.

Our growing success is rooted in this commitment to proactively develop next-generation skills and recruit the best talent to the region.

From apprentices to graduates, industry professionals to KTPs – a proactive approach to recruitment, progression and skills development, even during uncertain times, is a key part of our workforce and growth. It’s enabling us to futureproof, allowing us to adapt to the changing business landscape, and ensuring we have a diverse range of backgrounds and skills to meet next-generation problems with innovative solutions.

But supporting a variety of routes into industry is just one facet of developing a strong, diverse and forward-thinking workforce. As well as welcoming new faces into a changing team, the way in which businesses and organisations are supporting, developing, training and sharing knowledge is changing.

Responding to new technologies and a shift in the way teams communicate, we’ve been supporting our clients with virtual solutions to remote training, learning, operations and even events. We’ve been developing interactive and engaging ways for businesses to keep in contact, upskill their workforce and move online.

Thrust in the spotlight in response to COVID, we believe this digital and remote way of training and learning will remain prevalent long after the pandemic. We’ll soon be sharing best practices on how to implement it quickly and effectively – harnessing benefits and engaging workforces for years to come.