Brother UK pledges support for apprenticeships with TT500 project induction
Fri, 05 June 2026
Brother UK inducted into Train Tameside 500 project as ‘TT500 champion’, reinforcing its commitment to skills development and training across the borough.
Train Tameside 500 is a borough wide initiative led by Tameside College to create 500 training and employment opportunities through a partnership between local industry, further education and Tameside Council. By working together, the project is building clear pathways for young people and adults to gain the skills, qualifications and real-world experience needed to progress, helping to strengthen the local workforce and support growth across the borough.
As a TT500 champion, Brother UK will help promote the initiative to businesses and employers across Tameside, showcasing the benefits of apprenticeships, training and employee development, whilst highlighting how working in partnership with Tameside College can support growth.
To mark the company's induction into the programme, Anna O'Brien, deputy manager for apprenticeships at Tameside College recently presented Sam Johnson, organisational development manager at Brother UK with a TT500 champion certificate during a visit to the company's Audenshaw headquarters.
Brother UK has pledged to use its apprenticeship levy to support small businesses in the local area through the college. By gifting levy funds, the company will help other employers to take on and train apprentices, creating opportunities for young people whilst supporting skills development and economic growth across Tameside.
At Brother UK, learning and development have long been embedded within the organisation's culture. The company continues to invest in both existing employees and new apprentices, recognising the value that training brings to individuals and the wider business.
“Everybody who starts with us wants to know that you're going to invest in them,” explains Sam. “It's part of your employee package. We will upskill adults through apprenticeships where the opportunity arises and equally, we will bring in apprentices when we've got those placements available.” Sam says.
As a business with high employee retention, Brother UK sees training as an important way of supporting career progression and ensuring employees have the skills needed to develop and succeed. Investing in people also helps strengthen planning and prepares the organisation for future challenges.
“It helps us to create resilience in the business and it helps with our succession plans for the future to bring up new leaders.” Sam says.
The benefits of this approach can be seen across the organisation. By continuing to invest in learning and development, Brother UK is supporting employees who want to build long term careers with the company whilst ensuring the business has the skills required for future growth.
“We've got really high staff retention at Brother, so we have to commit to investing in people for that future.” Sam explains.
“Those who want to stay with us want to know that they can move through their career with us. We've got to give them the skills to do that.”
Apprenticeships also help create a balanced workforce where experience and fresh perspectives can benefit one another. Long serving employees share their knowledge with newer colleagues, while apprentices bring tech skills, adaptability and different ways of thinking into the business.
“We've got people with 40 years of service who are teaching apprentices the ropes at Brother.” says Sam.
“Then you've got apprentices coming in who can teach long term employees different ways of thinking and make us more adaptable. It's that kind of almost ‘reverse mentoring’ that has really secured our plan for the future.”
As a TT500 champion, Brother UK is keen to encourage other employers to see the benefits of apprenticeships and training. The company believes that investing in people is one of the most effective ways to futureproof and keep pace with changing requirements.
“My advice to other employers would be to do it. Skills are changing all the time, everything's constantly moving, the economy is moving and you need to continue to invest in your employees to be able to do the role properly.”
This message reflects the aims of the Train Tameside 500 initiative. Through apprenticeships, work placements and training opportunities, employers such as Brother UK are helping to develop a highly skilled local workforce whilst creating valuable opportunities for people across the borough.
If you or your organisation would like to #JoinTT500, become a Train Tameside 500 champion or explore how training, apprenticeships and work placements can benefit your organisation, contact the college’s Apprenticeships Team at apprenticeships@tameside.ac.uk or call 0161 908 6735.