NAW2025: My Role as Bagnalls Group Academy Tutor

12 February 2025

This National Apprenticeship Week, we’re discussing career highlights and opportunities with Joel Mortlock, our Group Academy Tutor. Having started his career with us as an apprentice, Joel is uniquely placed to guide the next generation of painters and decorators through their training – after experiencing it all himself!

We spoke to Joel about his journey from apprentice to Group Academy Tutor, discovering his tips for breaking into the painting and decorating industry.

What’s your proudest moment as Group Academy Tutor at Bagnalls?

Since I started my journey as Group Academy Tutor, I’ve had many a proud moment! A few that have stuck in my memory are the 2024 PDA Apprentice of the Year competition, 2023 PDA Paperhanger of the Year and taking two of our award-winning apprentices to Slovenia with the PDA to help paint an elementary school in one day.

What support did you receive from Bagnalls during your apprenticeship?

All the support I needed to be able to complete my qualification! If I needed to spend a bit more time completing my portfolio of theory work, I was given the time away from site or allowed to go into college. This meant I could fully focus on completing my apprenticeship to a high standard.

While on my Level 3 Craft Painter and Decorator course, I was given the opportunity to enrol onto Bagnalls’ internal Management Trainee programme. This allowed me to train to become a Contracts Manager, providing me with on site management experience and eventually allowing me to become Group Academy Tutor!

What barriers do you believe young people in the painting and decorating industry face today?

I don’t think trade apprenticeships are pushed enough at the school leavers stage. Therefore, young people are not being given the information and opportunities they need to discover the full range of apprenticeships available to them. I fully believe that completing an apprenticeship can set you up for a better career than going to university can, but young people and their parents may not have been told which apprenticeships are available and how beneficial they can be.

The availability of apprenticeships is also a barrier. There might be 50 people competing for two positions, which stops young people from getting into the trade. We need to widen the number of apprenticeships available, giving more young people the opportunity to pursue their chosen career.

Are there any new opportunities open to today’s apprentices?

I attended the Bagnalls Training Academy myself, but I have made a few changes in my role as Group Academy Tutor that mean it’s not the same academy as it was eight or nine years ago. I have introduced new opportunities in the form of a syllabus of learning and the chance to visit the Dulux Academy. I have also extended my role from a six-month position to a full-time one, so that our apprentices can spend more time with me in the academy learning their trade.

How is Bagnalls’ apprenticeship unique?

We invest highly in every apprentice that works for Bagnalls. No other painting and decorating company has a dedicated Training Academy facility, offering apprentices a safe space to develop their skills. When they attend the academy, our apprentices have free reign to experiment and make mistakes but, with my guidance, they can then work to build their confidence and get things right on site.

We offer unique training opportunities as part of our academy syllabus, such as PASMA training and the Dulux Academy. Each second-year apprentice receives a Dulux season pass, allowing them to attend five Dulux Academy courses to help them build more confidence towards taking their end-point assessment.

Each year, during National Apprenticeship Week, we host an apprentice celebration event. All the successful apprentices are invited to collect their certificate of completion and celebrate together. We also present the David Sunderland award, which is given to an exceptional apprentice for their achievements.

The doors to success are always open at Bagnalls for those who choose to strive for greatness.

Are there any apprentice success stories that have stuck with you?

Owen Sheldon is a brilliant example of apprentice success. Owen joined Bagnalls as an older apprentice at the age of 23 – it can be difficult for a 23-year-old who is trying to run their own life to take an apprenticeship wage. Never once has Owen used this as an excuse.

Since joining Bagnalls, Owen has shown brilliant determination to learn his trade and has put 100% commitment into making sure he passes. He was named runner-up in the PDA Junior 2024 awards, which has ignited his passion to gain the top spot at this year’s competition.

Not only have his skills made an impression with me, but he has also been trusted on complex projects at our Leeds branch under Jane Potter’s stewardship. Owen has the trust of the branch, even as an apprentice.

What plans do you have for the future of the Bagnalls Training Academy?

I hope to keep adding to the academy to provide ever-more successful training. I’m committed to providing further opportunities for those wanting to become successful painters and decorators – I aim to do this by constantly improving our skills programme and developing a team of dedicated trainers.