Jewson has appointed 50 new management trainees as part of its focus to bring new talent into the business.

The trainees will undertake a two-year development programme and upon successful completion will take up managerial positions at Jewson’s head office and national network of merchant branches.

The trainees, who are a mix of internal and external candidates from around the UK, will undertake a variety of practical and theoretical learning during the programme. In addition to this, the participants will be given business improvement projects throughout so that they can contribute to the merchants business from day one.

Peter Stringer, managing director of Jewson, said: “We are delighted to welcome the new trainees. At Jewson we strongly believe that investing in new talent is essential for future growth and we are committed to further diversifying our workforce going forward.”

“The programme is designed to prepare the trainees for a career within the Jewson branch network,” said Mike Warner, human resources director for Jewson. “We look for people who are customer focused rather than asking for specific qualifications, as delivering customer service is of paramount importance to our business. We find that this encourages entrants from a variety of backgrounds which helps us to meet the needs of our customers.”