A leading Hull modular manufacturer has joined forces with a city recruitment specialist to support a new traineeship scheme.
Focused on helping young people ‘earn, learn and progress’, bathroom pod specialist Walker Modular has become the first local employer to pledge to offer young people full-time jobs on more than the minimum and living wage, while offering progression opportunities under the Career Starter programme.
Staff Finders is keen to develop the scheme with many more local employers but has launched it initially with Walker Modular given the long-term relationship between the two businesses.
Read more: Walker Modular builds back with strong run of orders after Covid stripped one third of sales
“At Staff Finders we have recruited many employees for Walker Modular over the years who have established themselves as much-valued members of the team and have progressed to more senior roles at management level,” said Andrew Abraham, managing director.
“This has happened quite naturally through our commitment as an agency to properly identifying and recruiting suitable candidates, and also through Walker’s commitment to developing people within their own business.
“What we’re doing now is placing a much more formal structure around that approach, one which is focussed on offering opportunities and trade experience to young people to earn money and start building a career. Too many are finding opportunities which are linked to their qualifications limited, but there are good alternatives.
“We are looking for firms who can offer full-time employment with career prospects, so we can offer a clear path from being a temporary worker supplied by us to a full-time employee at a local business with career opportunities ahead.”
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Simon Blakey, manufacturing manager at Walker Modular, has already taken on six young people as part of the scheme.
He joined the business 13 years ago having sought the help of Staff Finders after being made redundant.“I’m really excited about this project as I want to bring young people into the business and give them the opportunity to progress their careers like I did,” he said.
“I started as a general operative and because I showed potential, and of course a desire to do a good job and succeed, I was soon promoted to a team leader and then as the business grew I found myself in charge of a growing department.
“The business put me through all the relevant training and qualifications required, from health and safety and HR to interview training, investigations training and of course management. That’s helped me progress my career and I hope I can be someone who young people joining the firm look at and see there is scope to progress.
“We have team leaders and managers across the business who came to us via Staff Finders over the years and have worked their way up, so I know they can be relied upon to select candidates who will come to us and will want to work hard and progress.
“We also have opportunities for people to learn skilled trades on the job, which pay a really good wage and are in demand at all businesses, so I think it’s really exciting to make it a more formal process and I see this as a scheme which can really grow.”
The agency will help employers by working with colleges and sixth forms to make young people aware of opportunities, conduct initial interviews, assist with risk assessments and inductions and review and assess progress.
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Darren Storrer, head of the Institute for Building Technologies at Hull College, said: “The Career Starter scheme will give our learners the opportunity to fill the gap between those who want to study full-time and those who want apprenticeships, as these traineeships offer a great opportunity to get into work, earning a wage and building on their skills in industry.
“This will be a great partnership that will benefit both parties, the learner, the employers and the construction industry on the whole.”
18th birthday brought full time contract for early pilot of new programme
Lewis Pidd-Hicks was given the perfect start to 2022 when he was awarded a full-time contract on his 18th birthday.
It comes nine months after joining the business, working in the woodshop team.
“School wasn’t for me, and nor was college really. I was always the class clown at school, the one being cocky and trying to get a laugh. I didn’t like being told what to do so I ended up at a specialist behaviour school,” he said.
“I’d started a college course at 17 but what I really wanted was to be working, so I contacted Staff Finders and they helped find a suitable place for me. I’m really pleased they brought me to Walker.
“I’ve always had really good help and support here, from the people on the shop floor to my line managers. It was a really quick learning curve initially, but everyone has helped and you learn every day.”
Lewis admits one of the big attractions to the job has been earning, with Walker Modular paying him £9.21 an hour, compared to the minimum wage for under 18s of £4.62 an hour, and £4.30 an hour for apprentices.
“I love earning money, it’s what gets me out of bed in a morning and on my bike for 20 minutes to get to work, he said.
“I’ve been taking home more than £300 a month at 17. I’ve not saved much, but it’s great to have my own money and to be learning a trade.”
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