Travis Perkins has been approved as one of the Government’s official Kickstart employers to provide 800 work placements for young people
Travis Perkins owns Travis Perkins builders’ merchants, Toolstation, Wickes and many trade businesses including City Plumbing, BSS, CCF and Keyline.
This is part of the company’s commitment to supporting skills and training for young, unemployed 16 to 24-year olds, and will support the economic recovery by combating rising unemployment in this age group during the pandemic.
Travis Perkins, which employs 28,000 people, will deliver this new programme in-house, and sees these Kickstart placements, which are initially six-months long, as a great source for developing its pipeline of colleagues, and an opportunity to build a more diverse workforce for the future across all of its businesses.
The company have a portfolio of nearly 40 apprenticeships.
Kickstarters plan
Kickstarters will be working in roles across a number of areas; including yards, warehouses, branches, tool hire, administration and stock management.
Recruitment will start initially within the plumbing and heating businesses, followed by the rest of the Group’s trade businesses throughout 2021.
The training schedule across the Travis Perkins businesses will include health and safety training and employability to cover CV writing and interview preparation.
Candidates will also be supported by a dedicated Kickstart Coach via online webinars and virtual one-to-one sessions to help ensure robust readiness for long term employment.
All Kickstarters at the Group will also be eligible and considered for apprenticeships and new vacancies across the businesses, at the appropriate point of their placement and work experience.
Commitment to local communities
Nick Roberts, CEO of Travis Perkins plc, said: “This year we have confronted unprecedented challenges in the face of a pandemic.
“The impact has been especially severe on those many young people who require further experience and qualifications and may now find it more difficult to get a job in an even more competitive market.
“The breadth of our businesses and our track record for training and development combined with the strong family values and commitment we have to our local communities, mean we have a strong offering for the Kickstart candidates here at Travis Perkins.
“We hope this will provide those particularly at risk of longer-term unemployment with the skills and experience they need to be better equipped for the job market in future.
“We see these placements as a way to ensure young people feel valued and invested in, and a way to help them build their confidence about longer-term job opportunities within our own Group, or elsewhere, given the skills shortages our industry faces longer term.”
