Jones Bros’ Ty Glyn is a far cry from learning in the African wilderness for Jonathan 31st Jan 2024
Jonathan Dennehy is enjoying absorbing plenty of information as he settles into life as quality and business improvement manager at Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK.
And thankfully for the British Army veteran he can do a sizeable chunk of his learning in the Ty Glyn offices, which is a far cry from previous educational experiences.
Whilst studying for a health sciences degree from the Open University, Jonathan often found himself working in unusual settings.
He recalls: “I vividly remember sitting on a box in our camp in Kenya and doing some of the course.
“It was around dusk, and I had finished doing what I needed to, so shut the laptop. I then looked out and around 10 metres away was an elephant just walking past.
“It was surreal, but there were always elephants and giraffes close to our base, so maybe I should have expected it.”
Jones Bros signed the armed forces covenant in 2022
Having spent more than 24 years in the British Army, including tours of Afghanistan, Kosovo, and Bosnia amongst others, Jonathan was thrilled to see such a commitment.
However, there were plenty more reasons for him to apply for a job with the Ruthin-headquartered firm.
Jonathan, who lives in Penrhyn Bay, explained: “The fact Jones has signed the covenant is great, but it was the company I wanted to work for more than anything.
“There are so many great things about Jones Bros – they are family run and many employees have all worked their way up, which shows that career progression really matters.”
And after returning to full-time work with Jones Bros, Jonathan is relishing the future as he looks to climb the ladder and further expand his knowledge.
He continued: “Tony Murphy, who is another armed forces veteran, spoke to me in my language and really understood mv CV. It was reassuring as I’ve had rejection because other companies couldn’t.
“There is trepidation when you leave the army after 20 years of a guaranteed pay cheque and head into civilian life.
“I’m really looking forward to settling into work at Jones Bros and then, given I have a thirst for learning, I am going to look into a master’s degree in leadership and management.”
Established in the 1950s, Jones Bros owns one of the largest plant fleets in the UK and employs approximately 500 people.
The company is currently working on contracts in various sectors including highways flood and marine defence , waste management and renewable energy around the UK.
The company runs an award-winning apprenticeship scheme, which has produced nearly 40 per cent of its current workforce, with many of its senior managers having started out as apprentices or in a trainee role. It has recruited more than 100 apprentices during the past three years.