A MAJOR plumbing and heating supply business is backing apprenticeships.
Builders’ merchant group Wolseley UK has taken on 25 apprentices in its Plumb Center business, which includes branches in Huddersfield, Brighouse and Dewsbury.
It has hired the young trainees through its customer service apprenticeship programme with help from national training provider Intraining.
Frank Clayton, operations training manager, said Wolseley decided to take the apprenticeship route because it wanted to employ young, enthusiastic people who could be trained and educated the Wolseley way.
He said: “The apprenticeship programme has given us the opportunity to bring people in with the right attitude, who are willing to learn and train with us. We believe this is very much the model for successful employment.
“The 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 the business needs and I know they will do good things for us.”
Said Mr Clayton: “We are simply developing our talent with a view that in five years’ time these young people will be in senior positions in the company, making decisions and perhaps taking charge.”
Wolseley UK decided to develop an apprenticeship programmes during the economic downturn as part of its preparations for the future – believing that high quality staff deliver great customer service, which in turn generates greater profits.
Andy Hall, Intraining’s national apprenticeship hub manager, said Wolseley UK was testament to how well apprenticeships could work.
