Introducing Liam O’Grady – Optimum’s 1st Apprentice

Talk about an apprentice today and most people think about the formidable Sir Alan Sugar and the almost impossible challenges he sets for terrified candidates in the City of London. Luckily for Liam O’Grady, the first apprentice at Optimum Oils, he won’t be put under any pressure in the boardroom.

Instead, Liam is working towards a Level 4 Customer Service qualification through Cirencester College while learning on the job at Optimum Oils. His typical day involves direct customer contact  as well as more behind the scenes support such as monitoring stock levels and topping up as needed. Optimum Oils is a very ‘hands on’ business and Liam says that he has already learned a lot. “It’s important to understand what customers need and the value of meeting their needs”, he says.

As one of the newest member of the team at Optimum, Liam brings his own strengths to a business that has always had a strong emphasis on customer service. Liam joins a team that has over 200 years’ experience in the Automotive and Industrial Oil business. It’s important for the business to bring in fresh talent such as Liam to pass on this expertise and also ensure that future customers benefit from the same high standards of service.

“Liam is our first apprentice and he won’t be our last,’ said Optimum’s Kerry Pullen. “Watching Liam’s progress and the enthusiasm he has brought is inspiring. Having an apprentice has reminded us that he’s not the only one that can learn and grow. He’s teaching us a few tricks too!”

Optimum are very happy with how their first apprentice is working out and they recommend that other organisations join them in reaping the benefits of hiring people like Liam. Cirencester College have a wide range of apprenticeships for Gloucestershire and the surrounding areas and can be contacted at 01285 640994 or apprenticeship@cirencester.ac.uk for more details.

“My long term goal”, says Liam, “is to eventually become part of the management team here at Optimum Oils”. It’s still early days for the first apprentice at Optimum, but we’re pretty confident he won’t ever hear the words ‘You’re fired’.

Liam’s success to date recently featured in the Gloucester Advertiser business news, please click here to see the full article