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In just under the two years that Fettle has been trading, we’ve learned that more people than ever want to transform their passion for bicycles and cycling into a career. There is some phenomenal talent already working in the industry, and we are lucky to have a number of them on board already. Their experience has been essential in helping us to understand the demands of a workshop, the intricacies that make people a success, and the processes that allow us to deliver a five star experience to our customers.
To ensure that we continue to help the cycling industry grow even further, it is not only our responsibility to get the best out of those with experience; we have to create more jobs and help to develop more talent. We are doing this by creating the Fettle Academy.
We have taken our time to understand the technical proficiencies that are mapped out in the Cytech qualifications, and have attributed these skills to different roles within the business. However, it is not enough to teach only technical knowledge. Softer, more nuanced skills in communication, commerciality and customer management are required in order to truly deliver a five star experience to our customers. Although some people may join us more developed than others, every Fettle Mechanic will work according to this journey. In other words, the Fettle Academy will offer a unique and industry-leading opportunity for mechanics to develop a career as a qualified bike mechanic.
Partnering with schools and colleges in the regions we expand into will mean that we can offer apprenticeships to passionate young individuals, where they will work and learn alongside our experienced team members to become the next generation of bike mechanics. Crucially, targeting fresh talent will allow us to create an increasingly diverse team, broadening the window of opportunity to a wider pool of people. As a female-led company in a male-dominated industry, we are very aware of the importance of creating a diverse and rounded team, growing in a considered-manner.
Fettle is proud to have created an environment where our team-mates love sharing their knowledge. We have internal chat groups specifically designed so that our team can share their diverse expertise. On top of that, we’ve also had overwhelming interest in the community-driven mechanical learning sessions that we’ve hosted, which have been aimed at supporting demographics that might find it more difficult to learn mechanical skills.
Rolling out the Fettle Academy, and the career path that this provides our current and future employees is a huge step for us, and one we are incredibly excited about. It is essential in helping to attract and retain the best talent in the industry, and ultimately crucial in providing a customer service that we are so proud of.
If this is something you'd like to get involved, we'd love to hear from you: jim@fettle.cc
