A LOCAL businessman who started his career as a 16 year old apprentice in 1989 is marking National Apprentice-ship Week by celebrating with his firm’s first young recruit.

Seventeen year old Stuart Waring from Storth, joined Kendal auction house 1818 Auctioneers last August as part of an apprenticeship in business administration with Kendal College.

Stuart’s start mirrors Kevin Kendal’s – who also left school to start work at the local auction to learn a trade.

However the similarities stop there. As part of his Government apprenticeship, Stuart attends college once a week to study a mixture of subjects including key skills, principles of business administration and employment rights and responsibilities.

For Kevin there was no organised scheme but he did take the auctioneer and appraisers exam via a mix of correspondence and tutoring in Scotland, qualifying in 1998.

“My motivations to start working as soon as I could are very similar to Stuart’s. I didn’t want to stay on at school do more formal learning but the freedom and independence that the world of work brings. Working at the auction was supposed to be a stop-gap but here I am running one of the area’s leading auction houses.” says Kevin.

So far Stuart’s tasks have included answering the phone, dealing with inquiries, packing and unpacking items for valuation and taking his turn on the tea and coffee rota.

“I am meeting lots of people, getting to know the regulars and learning a lot. It’s very different from being at school and I am really enjoying it.

“I am using some of my wages to pay for driving lessons which should mean even more independence for me. It’s also good to meet up with other apprentices on our college day.”