World Youth Skills Day: Building skills for the future, from apprenticeship to business partner

Jackson Kean, Commercial Analyst at wienerberger UK & Ireland, and Mason McGrath, Maintenance Apprentice at wienerberger (Denton works) both share their unique stories of how acquiring valuable technical and professional skills through the wienerberger Apprenticeship Programme continues to play a pivotal role in shaping their careers. 

Jackson always enjoyed maths at school and wanted a career in Accountancy where he would interact with numbers and figures. He wanted to influence business performance, create strategy and make a real impact on decision-making. But like many young people leaving college, he faced a familiar question, where do I start?

While some of his peers were considering university, Jackson was looking for a route that would allow him to start building practical skills straight away. That was when he discovered apprenticeships. Seeing this as an opportunity to learn and earn at the same time, Jackson took his first step towards working in Financial Planning & Analysis, by joining wienerberger as a Finance Apprentice in 2022, marking the beginning of his progressive career.  

“In college, career advice focused on university, but I knew it wasn’t for me. I struggled to see the relevance of what I was studying and wanted a path that offered real-world application. I started as a Finance Apprentice in Commercial Controlling at wienerberger, supporting the Roofing division of the business and this apprenticeship came with hands-on experience and a fully funded educational qualification in Accounting.”

After a few months at wienerberger, Jackson enrolled onto the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) Level 4 Professional Accounting Technician Programme, working four days a week and studying one. 

“The formal element of my apprenticeship was the CIMA qualification, which involved completing 17 exams to achieve Chartered status. This provided a strong technical foundation for my role. Alongside this, I developed a range of soft skills through on-the-job learning, particularly by shadowing and learning from more experienced colleagues.”

Within the first two years into his apprenticeship, his skills became to attract recognitions, one of which gave him an opportunity to gain more skills abroad. 

“One of my proudest moments to date was not only being nominated three times but winning the ‘Apprentice of the Year’ in 2024. It was such a great moment, and it was only made possible by the people who have helped me along the way.

I was also selected for the Global Ready2Grow Development Programme in the same year, which included time at wienerberger headquarters in Vienna taking part in training focused on communication, project management, and personal development. This experience helped me further strengthen key skills that I apply in my role today.”

Having completed his apprenticeship and moved into a full-time role at wienerberger, Jackson continues to grow professionally, putting his skills into practice and developing new ones along the way. 

“I now work as a Commercial Analyst for the Pipes division, where I support business forecasting and analyse sales and margin performance. A key part of the Financial Planning & Analysis team’s role is to partner with senior stakeholders to support informed decision-making and strengthen business performance. The skills I’ve developed enable me to contribute effectively to this process and play my part in ‘building for what’s next’. 

Speaking from experience, Jackson believes one of the best investments any young person can make is in their skills, as they can open doors to opportunities and create a strong foundation for future success. His advice to young people is simple. 

“Invest in your skills from the start. It’s one of the best decisions you can make for your future. Focus on developing both technical and personal skills, as both are equally important. Most importantly, stay curious- learning never stops!”

Just like Jackson, many young people are choosing to build their futures through apprenticeships, gaining new skills and developing the expertise needed to thrive in an evolving industry. 

One of those people is Mason McGrath, who is currently a Maintenance Apprentice at wienerberger (Denton works). 

“I first started looking for an apprenticeship after school because I wanted to do something hands-on and learn on the job. Initially, I wanted to become an electrician but later realised that wienerberger was the perfect place to learn both the mechanical and electrical sides of engineering, as well as how machines function.  My apprenticeship is four years long, which gives me plenty of time to gain knowledge from all the engineers on site and get properly involved in day-to-day work.

wienerberger has invested a lot in my development, paying for my tools, PPE and all my training. As part of my apprenticeship, I also go to the Centre of Excellence at the Sandtoft site. So far, I’ve completed a relay logic course that really boosted my electrical knowledge, along with risk assessment training and other skills I can bring back and apply on site and I’m confident that I’m on the right path to becoming a fully qualified Maintenance Technician.”  

At wienerberger, we are proud to support the next generation of talent because skills development is about strengthening the future of our industry, closing skills gap and creating opportunities for individuals. As we mark this World Youth Skills Day, we are celebrating the young people who are investing in their futures and encouraging more youths to develop new skills and embrace pathways into skilled careers.

Happy World Youth Skills Day, from all of us here at wienerberger UK & Ireland.