Baxi’s Paul Haynes praises apprenticeships at the annual JTL Apprenticeship Awards, Plaisterers Hall, City of London.

Baxi's Product, Solutions and Marketing director Paul Haynes reflects on his own career, the value of pushing forward, and the critical role of today’s apprenticeships in our rapidly transforming sector.

About JTL

JTL is a not-for-profit organisation, specialising in apprenticeship training for the electrical and plumbing industries across England and Wales. The organisation supports around 8,000 learners and trains more apprentices within the building services engineering sector than any other provider in England and Wales.

JTL Apprenticeship Awards

The JTL National Awards unite apprentices, employers, colleagues and industry partners from across the UK to recognise excellence in apprenticeship training and celebrate the remarkable skills, dedication and achievements of those shaping the future of the building services engineering industry.

At the award ceremony, Product, Solutions and Marketing director Paul Haynes reflects on his own career, the value of pushing forward, and the critical role of today’s apprenticeships in our rapidly transforming sector.

Paul Haynes' career is a powerful example of how an apprenticeship can open doors to opportunities that may never have seemed possible at the outset. 

Leaving school at 16 without a defined career plan, he joined Potterton as a Technical Apprentice, keen to learn practical skills and gain real-world experience.

Over the following four years, Paul developed his technical expertise by working across different areas of the business and becoming CORGI registered. The hands-on knowledge he gained during this time provided a strong foundation that would support every stage of his future career.

While he enjoyed the practical aspects of the role, it was the technology behind the products that captured his interest. Curious about how boilers were designed, how systems operated, and why certain decisions were made, he continually sought to learn more. That curiosity led him beyond the workshop and into new areas of the business, including product management, marketing, and business development.

As his career progressed, Paul took on increasing responsibility, eventually becoming Head of Product Marketing and Business Development. After two decades with the same organisation, he decided to challenge himself further by stepping outside his comfort zone and exploring opportunities in the technology sector.

This led him to Nest, the smart home startup that later became part of Google. There, he applied the skills and experience he had built over the years in a fast-paced, global technology environment. His career continued to evolve as he became Sales and Marketing Leader for Google's smart home devices and later moved to Amazon's Ring business.

Despite working across very different industries and technologies, Paul found that the same principles underpinned success throughout his career: understanding customers, solving problems, building relationships, and maintaining a willingness to keep learning.

His passion for technology and sustainability ultimately brought him back to Baxi, where he now plays a role in helping the business navigate the transition towards a lower-carbon future.

Reflecting on his journey, Paul often emphasises that apprenticeships are not a limitation but a launchpad. They provide practical experience, recognised qualifications, and valuable skills that can lead to a wide variety of career paths. His advice to today's apprentices is simple: stay curious, ask questions, work hard, build relationships, and never stop learning. As his own story demonstrates, where someone begins their career does not determine where it will ultimately take them.

In his address, Paul says; “Apprenticeships don’t limit you - they launch you. They give you something incredibly powerful: real skills, real experience, and a head start that many others don’t have”.

About Baxi Apprenticeships:

Baxi's apprenticeship programme plays an important role in developing the skills needed to support both our business and the wider heating and energy industry. Through a combination of workplace learning and structured training, apprentices gain practical experience while working towards nationally recognised qualifications.

Apprenticeships are available across a range of areas, including Engineering, Manufacturing, Finance, Administration, Procurement, and Health & Safety. Opportunities are based within our field teams, at our Warwick headquarters, and at our manufacturing site in Preston, offering individuals the chance to build knowledge and experience in a real working environment.

Programmes vary in length and level, from Level 2 qualifications through to degree and Master's-level apprenticeships. Each programme combines on-the-job learning with dedicated study, helping apprentices develop the technical, professional, and personal skills required for long-term career development.

By investing in apprenticeships, Baxi continues to support future talent, strengthen industry skills, and help prepare the workforce needed for the transition to more sustainable heating and energy solutions.