Travis Perkins has signed up more than 800 of its apprentices as student members to The Institute of Builders Merchants (IoBM), thereby, becoming the first national merchant to support the Institute’s plans to professionalise the industry.
In addition to the decision, new apprentices joining Travis Perkins will also be given the opportunity to join the IoBM to benefit from its role as an independent accreditation body, with bi-annual conferences for student members beginning in autumn 2022.
Commenting on the move, Andy Rayner, head of apprenticeships and early careers at the Travis Perkins Group, said: “We pride ourselves on providing a full range of apprenticeships from the branch counter to the boardroom. Our apprenticeships are designed to support existing employees, as well as individuals with no prior knowledge of our industry or our business, to give them the skills they need to become valued colleagues.
“This is very much in line with the ethos of the IoBM, and by introducing our apprentices to the Institute as student members, they will be able to assess how active membership can support them as they continue to develop their careers. We asked our 1,000 apprentices if they wanted to become members of the IoBM and we were delighted that the vast majority did.”
John Newcomb, chief executive officer of the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF), which the IoBM operates as a separate brand of, added: “The IoBM management committee set a membership target of 1,000 new members by the end of the year. With the support of Travis Perkins, we will achieve this by the end of October.
“It is particularly encouraging to see the largest builders’ merchant in the UK bringing such a significant number of new recruits to the industry into membership. Through accreditation and CPD, the IoBM has set out a pathway to professionalism in the merchanting industry, which can support them through their entire career. We hope others will now follow this example.”
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