East Anglian builders’ merchant Collier & Catchpole has taken on three apprentices this summer.

Billie Saunders has been working with the team in Colchester since July on a warehouse and storage apprenticeship. The scheme proved such a success that further apprentices were then sought. Bradley Aldous was recruited for the Ipswich yard and Nadine Gray was recruited to work in the Colchester office; both apprentices started in August.

Collier & Catchpole became more aware of the potential of apprenticeships through its membership of the National Merchant Buying Society (NMBS) and the society’s Apprenticeship Youth Enterprise 50 campaign, which was launched as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations. Supporting the scheme is approved apprentice training provider Didac.

Managing director Tim Rowbottom explained: “In difficult times it is all too easy to think only about today's problems and not look to the future. People are an essential part of Collier & Catchpole; having the right people is key to maintaining the high level of service we provide our customers. To ensure we have the right people for the years to come, we need to make that investment now and the scheme is helping us do so. It allows us to recruit enthusiastic, capable youngsters into an industry that offers all sorts of potential. The apprentices benefit by gaining valuable experience and training; we benefit by recruiting individuals who will help us to move the business forward in the coming years.”