Holiday home maker takes on apprentices
WILLERBY RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING DRIVE
MORE than 30 young people are beginning exciting careers with holiday homes market leader Willerby following the biggest recruitment of apprentices in the company’s 75-year history.
More than 350 applications were received for a broad range of roles and 34 young people aged between 16 and 21 are beginning their new training and career opportunities in two waves just a few weeks apart.
Willerby’s move to employ this new pipeline of talent comes as the business continues to grow and respond to the huge demand for high-quality holiday homes.
A wide range of Level 2, 3 and 4 apprenticeships have been made available across the company’s headquarters in Hull, with training courses ranging in duration from 18 months to four years.
The variety of roles range from business administration and digital marketing to carpentry and joinery, reflecting the breadth of career opportunities being created within the business.
Almost a third of the new recruits are female, showing the success of Willerby’s drive for greater workforce gender balance.
Rosie Staniforth, 21, of Hedon, East Yorkshire, has taken up a Level 3 administrator apprenticeship.
Mum to a three-year-old son, Rosie said: “I’d love to build my career at Willerby. Here it’s like one big family and I felt at home straight away. This is such a great opportunity for me and it’s brilliant to start something new.”
Former Hull Trinity House Academy student Bradley Moyo, 16, of east Hull, has begun a three-year Level 3 installation and maintenance electrician apprenticeship.
He said: “I’ve always wanted an apprenticeship because I want to earn while I learn. My role will include everything from installing lights and electric fires to fitting plug sockets in the holiday homes.
“I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone and it’s very special to be part of the biggest single intake of apprentices in Willerby’s history. It’s a great place to start my career.”
Former Winifred Holtby School student Brooklyn Shephard, 18, of east Hull, who is undertaking a carpentry and joinery apprenticeship over two years, said: “This is a great opportunity for me and I’d like to think it will lead to a job for life.”
This summer Willerby, whose workforce has grown to around 1,100, opened a fifth production line at its Hull site and has taken on more than 200 staff within the past year, in response to its bulging order book, which is now full until late 2022.
Welcoming the first wave of apprentices, head of people Susan Pender said: “It’s great that we can offer these apprenticeships to young people who perhaps otherwise wouldn’t have had opportunities such as this, because of the pandemic, or haven’t had the greatest end to their formal education because of the disruption in schools and colleges caused by Covid.”
Willerby has partnered with Hull Business Training Centre and East Riding College on apprenticeships.
Chris Dolman, strategic development manager at Hull Business
Training Centre, said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for these apprentices to join one of Hull’s largest employers and it offers them so much potential for development.”
Hull West and Hessle MP Emma Hardy, a former Shadow Minister for Further Education and Universities, welcomed the bumper crop of young recruits.
She said: “Willerby said it intended to bring on board the biggest intake of young talent in its history and it’s great to see the company delivering on that promise. With this recruitment of more than 30 male and female apprentices, Willerby is helping develop and secure the careers of these young people and this is great news for employability in Hull.”
Willerby is also currently recruiting for a wide range of permanent positions.