Shaping the workforce of the future: Why RS Group is investing in early careers talent

As global industries face accelerating skills shortages, technological transformation and shifting workforce expectations, organisations are rethinking how they attract and develop talent. At RS Group, early careers are not a tactical initiative – the business has taken a clear stance: the next generation of engineers, technologists and commercial leaders are not waiting in the wings, they are already here, and they are a core element of the company’s long‑term growth strategy.

For Tim Beasley, Early Careers Manager at RS Group, the approach is simple: invest early, provide meaningful responsibility, and build the capabilities the business will rely on in the years ahead.

“This isn’t a programme. It’s a belief system,” Tim says.

Creating opportunity and unlocking capability

Tim has spent nearly two decades working with emerging talent, and he’s seen first-hand how early investment fuels rapid development. He speaks with the calm conviction of someone who has spent years watching potential ignite, and it still inspires him to see early-career talent thrive.

“Seeing someone go from quiet, uncertain, even embarrassed, to owning a room and backing their ideas,” he says. “That never gets old.”

His passion is closely linked to his own career journey. After starting in banking, Tim pivoted into early careers work almost 20 years ago – a transition that he says “felt like a light switching on.”

Today, he is focused on elevating perceptions of early careers, raising ambition and widening access to high-quality opportunities globally. Modern apprenticeships, he believes, play a critical role.

“They’re structured, technical, and designed for progression. If I were 18 again, I’d grab the opportunity of a degree apprenticeship with both hands and not let go.”

One of the biggest barriers to unlocking early careers talent, Tim argues, is mindset. Too often, early-career hires are labelled as “junior” by default.

“Experience isn’t the same as capability,” he says. “You can teach skills. You can’t teach attitude.

“Gen Z”, he adds, “arrives with that attitude in abundance. Purpose-driven, digitally fluent and values-led, they expect tools to work, leaders to listen, and organisations to stand for something meaningful. For companies willing to meet those expectations, the upside is significant.”

A global approach to early careers

RS Group’s early careers strategy spans multiple regions and disciplines, supporting apprentices, interns and early-career hires across the UK, EMEA, APAC, Mexico and the United States.

In the last year alone, the business has hired around 100 early-career colleagues globally.

This investment is already paying dividends with a number of apprentices going on to forge their career progression within RS Group, including in roles leading teams, and driving continuous improvement.

The ambition is consistency without uniformity: “Different countries, Different routes,” Beasley says. “Same outcome, talent unlocked.”

Empowering a new generation of leaders

One of the most significant success stories comes from Jodie Fogell, Supply Chain Services Manager, who joined RS as an inventory apprentice six years ago.

“The apprenticeship gave me exposure to different teams, real responsibility and leaders who invested in my development,” she explains. “That experience shaped my confidence and capability.”

Now a leading a team of 10 and studying for an MSc, Jodie represents the long-term value of early careers investment: individuals who grow with the business and ultimately help shape its future. Jodie summarises, “The apprenticeship genuinely opened doors and set a brilliant foundation for my career.”

Belonging, community and culture

RS Group’s early careers strategy doesn’t stop at hiring. Creating a culture where people can grow, collaborate and belong is equally important.

Employee Resource Groups play a key role in this. “ERG’s create community.” Tim explains. “They accelerate learning, build confidence, and help early careers employees find their people.”

One of Tim’s proudest moments was seeing RS’s apprentices establish Bloomers, an ERG dedicated to supporting young colleagues across the business. “That’s culture building itself,” he says.

Strengthening the talent pipeline for the future

For RS Group, the Early Careers program is a strategic lever that supports:

• long-term skilled workforce development
• organisational resilience
• succession and leadership pipelines
• global mobility opportunities
• future technical capability needs

It’s a vision that aligns closely with RS Group’s strategy: building a sustainable, future-ready organisation equipped with the skills and capabilities needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving landscape. It’s a reminder that learning and development do not end with experience.

For Tim, and for RS Group, growth begins with belief – in people, in potential and in the power of opportunity.