As the number of young people out of work in Britain has hit a record high, Wolseley UK has taken on 21 apprentices in its Plumb Center business in recent months in a bid to boost its ranks and invest in young talent.
Plumb Center, which is based in Leamington Spa and has more than 500 branches across the UK, has hired the young trainees through the Customer Service Apprenticeship Programme, with assistance from national training provider Intraining. Working with a team of Intraining assessors, the company is providing nationally-recognised work-based training and qualifications to the apprentices, who are able to earn while they learn. Karen Finn, the company’s HR Director, explained that Wolseley decided to take the apprenticeship route because it wanted to employ young, enthusiastic people who could be trained and educated the Wolseley way.
“The apprenticeship programme has given us the opportunity to bring in people with the right attitude, who are willing to learn and train with us. We believe this is very much the model for successful employment
She said: “The apprenticeship programme has given us the opportunity to bring in people with the right attitude, who are willing to learn and train with us. We believe this is very much the model for successful employment: “Our apprentices are developing skills that benefit not only themselves, but also the business. They work at ground level, receiving deliveries of goods and talking to customers. They are developing an excellent understanding of customer service and what our business needs and we are developing their talent with a view that in five years’ time these young people will be in management positions in the company, making decisions and perhaps taking charge.”
Prior to the scheme launch, Wolseley UK established a project team, which included operational managers from across the business, and worked closely with the Leadership Team to ensure the programme would meet the needs of the business. The project team also gathered feedback on earlier branch trainee programmes from former trainees and their managers to ensure successful elements were kept in the new programme and that others were changed or improved. As a result, the content of the current apprenticeship scheme is not off-the-peg but tailor-made for the company, which has also added elements, such as classroom training and e-learning to complement the apprenticeship qualification content to ensure the apprentices are equipped with relevant skills, knowledge and all-round experience.
The training is delivered in manageable six-month blocks with a clear process for managers to follow to ensure that their apprentices are receiving training on a regular basis. Frank Clayton, Operations Training Manager, explained: “Once we knew what we wanted, we approached a number of different providers, but the Intraining package was just right for us. “The vacancies were advertised on the National Apprenticeship Service website and Intraining pre-screened the candidates against our role profile to make sure they suited our needs and provided us with high-quality candidates for interview. It saved us a lot of time.” Intraining is one of the nation’s leading apprenticeship providers. It offers a free recruitment and matching service to make sure businesses have the right candidates for their needs, and then works with both the employer and learner to complete the training.
Apprentice Michael McCann, 19, from Killamarsh, in north east Derbyshire, has worked at the Plumb Center in Sheffield for ten months after going through the selection process. He said: “I feel really fortunate to have been taken on as an apprentice by Plumb Center and am now almost halfway through a two-year apprenticeship in Customer Service: “The first four months I worked in the warehouse, taking supplies in, sorting deliveries and dealing with orders, and now I’m working with customers on the trade counter. I love my job and actually look forward to coming into work every day. I feel as though I have already learned so much, and am much more confident in dealing with customers. I feel extremely lucky and would recommend an apprenticeship to anyone.” Andy Hall, Intraining’s National Apprenticeship Hub Manager, said Wolseley UK was testament to how well apprenticeships could work.
“Wolseley UK has done tremendously well to embrace the apprenticeship programme, taking on so many talented young trainees and making it work for both them and the company,” said Andy. The apprentices are receiving excellent on-the-job training that will set them up for life, while Wolseley has received an injection of enthusiasm, dedication and fresh ideas that will bring dividends to its business growth plans in the future.” Apprentices have been taken on at Plumb Centers in Leeds, Sheffield, West Drayton, Barking, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Lincoln, Wolverhampton, Truro, Exeter, Hamilton, Longbenton, Middlesbrough, Warrington, Chorley, Cardiff, Bristol, Eastleigh, Sidcup and Bromford. Plumb Center’s Managing Director, Keith Jones, concluded: “A well-structured apprenticeship programme, such as this one, brings countless benefits to both the apprentice and the company.”
