MERCHANT FOCUS: GRAHAM PLUMBERS’ MERCHANT
T
he Management Trainee scheme at Graham Plumbers Merchant was established in 2018. It is funded through the Apprenticeship Levy and is part of the wider Saint-Gobain training and apprenticeship initiative. An 18-month programme that aims to equip the participants with the customer service and management skills, product knowledge, experience and qualifications they require, it combines work in the branch with college study and the completion of modules through the online training platform. On completion of the course the trainees have a Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Level 3 qualification in Leadership and Management. “Trainees are recruited from a wide variety of backgrounds and many do not have any previous knowledge of the trades or the plumbing and heating industry,” says Imogene Hughes, Regional HR Business Partner. “We look for people who are driven, committed and who we believe will integrate with our culture and teams. In our view, it is better to find people with the right attitude, work ethic and personality and give them the training and development they need to get up to speed with the industry, which they do, very quickly.”
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GRAHAM
FACES THE FUTURE
Even through the current uncertain economic circumstances, businesses need to think about their future success. BMJ spoke to Graham Plumbers’ Merchant to find out more about its Management Trainee apprenticeship scheme.
Hub-based experience Upon joining the scheme, each Management Trainee is assigned to a Graham Hub, one of the larger branches or family of branches. Hughes says that by doing this, the company is able to ensure that the trainees gain varied experience in every aspect of the business from branch administration, stock control, accounts, warehouse operations, transport and contract sales. She says that they will also spend a proportion of their time serving at the counter
and in the showrooms, helping to meet the needs of a variety of customers. “This is crucial as this is where they develop the customer service skills and understanding of the industry that will be vital throughout their career with Graham.” She adds: “In line with our commitment to ensure customers can ‘talk to people in the know’, the scheme also focusses on developing the product and industry knowledge of the trainees. This is not only achieved through exposure to the products in the branch and
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net July 2020
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