The Builders Merchants Federation has launched a new careers website to promote the wide range of employment opportunities offered by merchants and building materials suppliers.
Timed to coincide with the release of this year’s A-Level and GCSE results, the Builders Merchants Careers website – at www.merchant-recruitment.co.uk – is aimed at school and college leavers, their parents and the school careers advisers and Jobcentres who support them as they consider career options.
It is the latest BMF initiative aimed at making young people more aware of the diversity of roles in our sector, together with the industry’s formal vocational training programmes – recently recognised with the 2015 Skills Development Award from the Trade Association Forum – opportunities for progression and earnings potential.
The website features eight video profiles of young merchant and supplier employees which bring the merchanting business to life and will give anyone considering their career options a clear, and very positive, impression of our industry. Hearing directly from young men and women working in branch management, marketing, sales, business development and in the yard – all of whom clearly love their job – really does show merchanting as forward thinking and a great industry to work in.
The video is shared below:
For those unsure what role they are best qualified for, the website offers a Route Map to help them understand how they can get into the sector. Once they have decided what suits them best, they can browse for and apply online for jobs in a Live Jobs section which links young people directly with employers. To ensure that current jobs are consistently available, the BMF is encouraging all members to get on board with the initiative and make sure they list suitable job roles on the site.
The Builders Merchants Careers website is part of a wider campaign on merchant recruitment led by the BMF. This will see BMF member representatives attending careers fairs and Jobcentres and disseminating information to schools and other careers service providers. The BMF is also promoting school visits and presentations by local industry ambassadors, something that was specifically requested by teachers and careers advisors attending the BMF Youth Recruitment Open Forum, which provided valuable insights to help shape this campaign.
Commenting on the launch, Anne Pavey, Senior Employer Relationship Manager, Department for Work and Pensions said: “Promoting apprenticeships and encouraging young people to explore careers that they may not have thought about is really important. The Builders Merchants Careers website provides a mixture of inspiring videos from young people already in the sector, guidance on what path is best for each individual and direct links to employers and job vacancies – it’s a great example of how a specific sector can offer hands on support to get school leavers and young people on the career ladder.”
BMF MD, John Newcomb added: “We believe this campaign, the biggest initiative of its kind ever undertaken by the BMF, will be the driving force behind attracting more young people into the sector and helping builders merchants and suppliers to continue to invest in the next generation. With opportunities across disciplines, from fork lift drivers and customer service to HR and design services, from first job roles all the way to the board room, there really are great opportunities to meet young peoples’ aspirations at every level.”
The Builders Merchants Careers website will be supported by the Twitter feed @Merchant_Youth and a dedicated Facebook page – Merchant Recruitment. You can also help to spread the word by visiting the website and sharing the link via your own social media channels.
