Can you tell us a bit about your business?
Ernest Doe & Sons Ltd is a family-owned machinery dealership founded in 1898, operating across 19 branches in the South East, East Anglia and East Midlands. We work within the agriculture, construction and professional groundcare sectors, supplying, servicing and supporting machinery for a wide range of customers.
People development sits at the heart of our business, and apprenticeships play a vital role in building long term careers. While land-based engineering remains our primary apprenticeship pathway, we also offer programmes in parts, retail, HR and IT, reflecting the wide range of skills needed across the organisation.
We are extremely proud that half of our senior management team began their careers with Ernest Doe as apprentices, progressing through the business and collectively contributing over 150 years of service. At a time when attracting young people into our industry is more important than ever, our apprenticeship scheme continues to be a cornerstone of our workforce strategy.
What led you to consider a levy transfer?
We were looking to reduce training costs and first heard about the levy transfer service after completing a recruitment survey conducted by Essex County Council. With limited levy funds of our own, we were pleased to learn that organisations like ours, even those already paying into the levy, are still eligible to apply.
How has the Essex Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Service helped your organisation?
By using the Essex Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Service, we’ve been able to take on several new apprentices in this year’s intake. We receive a high volume of enquiries from people wanting to join our branches as apprentices, but funding limitations have often restricted how many we can take on. The levy transfer has given us the flexibility to bring in more talent and meet that demand.
Would you consider applying for another levy transfer in the future?
Yes, absolutely. We have in fact used the service again to support a different type of apprenticeship within the company.
Would you recommend the service to other businesses?
Yes, the team have been very supportive throughout the process and guided us through each step. Each question was answered in detail. We would highly recommend the service to other businesses.