BUSINESS HELPDESK HELP DESK
SHAPING THE FUTURE
Having the right people in place is vital to our future success. Through the Building Materials Careers programme, the BMF is helping to shape the future of the building materials sector.
THE BUILDING MATERIALS CAREERS programme, from the Builders Merchants Federation, is geared to attract new talent into the sector. It is centred around the BMCareers website – www.
bmcareers.com. This acts as a one-stop shop to showcase the range of opportunities in the sector, with many of the roles brought to life by videos of people working in the industry describing a typical working day. The BMCareers website not only promotes our sector as a great place to build a career, but it also enables job seekers to upload their CVs, which BMF members can search to find candidates. The website also provides an opportunity to promote current vacancies. BMF members who engage with the programme can already provide a link to job roles advertised on their own website. However, smaller organisations may not have the digital resources to do this, and a forthcoming enhancement is intended to assist them. The upcoming launch of a jobs board – Building Materials Jobs - on the BMCareers site will enable them to upload their vacancies and participate alongside other companies that have recruited through the platform.
William Hercock, which has branches in the East Midlands, was one of the first to do so as Tudor Jones, their managing director, explains.
“Like many merchants, we need young people moving up through the company. We already have two young people on board through the BMF apprenticeship scheme and were keen to try the Building Materials Careers website. We quickly
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recognised that this would be a great recruiting tool. After registering and completing our profile, we connected with Ben Rowe, who impressed us at interview, and we are delighted to have him on board as a trade supplier apprentice.”
Ben, 21, had previously worked as a chef, but having completed a placement at national timber merchant soon after leaving school, was keen to return to merchanting, a career where he sees ample room for progression. As a trade supplier apprentice, Ben will be involved in various operational tasks including assisting with stock management, customer service and product distribution.
Harlow Timber Group is another advocate for BMCareers. The company was one of the first to engage with the programme
and upload an Employer Profile to the BMCareers website.
The company has an informative careers page on its own website, which includes current vacancies, but was eager to upload a comprehensive Employer Profile on the industry recruitment site. Managing director, Neil Sabey says: “It’s a fantastic tool, and the more people who use it the richer it will become. We need a good conveyor belt of people coming into the industry, but as a career choice, building materials is somewhat of a hidden secret. Raising the profile of the industry benefits every one of us.” Sabey believes the upcoming change enabling BMF members to upload jobs directly to the website will be a game-changer, making it easier for those without back-office HR staff to promote opportunities for new starters.
Uploading both an Employer Profile and job opportunities to the BMCareers website is straightforward and shouldn’t be a barrier to any member. There is a simple on-line form that guides you through each section, and the BMF team is also on hand to help. With the Government confirming work to start on three new towns before the next election, the building materials industry will be critical to achieving the new homes required in each location. Now is the time to build awareness of our sector, and the more companies actively taking part in the BMCareers campaign, the sooner that will happen.
• To find out more visit
www.bmf.org.uk or email
jeremy.harris@bmf.org.uk
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net October 2025
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