Wickes: First Apprentice Sets Up Own Installations Business

• Nathan Taylor (aged 25) is the first apprentice from the Wickes Installer Apprenticeship scheme to set up his own business
• Coventry-based Nathan will be an approved Wickes installer with opportunity to earn up to £70k per year
• Wickes calls for more people to join its industry-leading Installer Apprenticeship scheme to address shortage of skilled installers

Wickes, the UK’s home improvement retailer, has announced that the first apprentice from its pilot Installer Apprenticeship scheme, Nathan Taylor, has successfully completed his apprenticeship and will be launching his own installations business on 1st August 2021. 

As a Wickes approved installer, Nathan will be allocated installation jobs by Wickes and as an independent tradesperson he will also be free to take on other installations contracts.   An installer can earn up to anything between £40,000 - £70,000 per year depending on the number of installation jobs they undertake. 

Commenting on his new business Nathan said: “Being a Wickes apprentice has given me a fantastic opportunity to set up my own business and do a job that I love.  It can be scary setting up your own but I feel 100% supported by Wickes, who will handhold me through my first few jobs and give me the confidence to succeed.  I’d recommend the Wickes apprenticeship to anyone who wants to learn technical, commercial and customer service skills and eventually be their own boss.” 

Wickes was the first national retailer to launch an Installer Apprenticeship in 2019 and Nathan was among seven people on the initial pilot scheme, all of whom will graduate at the end of July 2021.  Following the successful pilot, the Wickes Installer Apprenticeship continues to be the only national retailer scheme in the industry and is working towards a further 48 apprentices. 

As the UK sees record levels of home improvement projects due to people spending more time at home during the pandemic, there is increased demand for skilled installers.  However, with the average age of an installer at 55 years old, there is mounting concern about the skills gap in the sector as fewer installers are coming through. 

Tony Brown, Installations Director at Wickes said: “At Wickes we are seeing tremendous growth in our Do-It-For-Me installations business as customers make improvements to their homes, anything from a new floor to a fully fitted kitchen.  

“As we grow our business we need a base of trusted and quality installers who can deliver our products and services which is why we took the lead in 2019 to launch our own unique installation apprenticeship scheme to address the skills gap and help maintain the future supply of skilled tradespeople.    

“We are tremendously proud of Nathan who is our first apprentice to set up his own small business. He’s a fantastic installer with great customer service skills and we are looking forward to working with him as one of our approved installers.  There are many great careers to be had in this industry and opportunities for people in a sector that can be flexible around them or give them the opportunity to create a small business.   I’d encourage anyone, young or old, who wants to re-train, develop new skills and join an exciting and growing industry to consider our apprenticeship scheme. We’d love to hear from you.” 

About the Wickes Installer Apprenticeship 

The Wickes Installer Apprenticeship is a Level 2 in ‘fitted furniture’ and is an 18-month programme  tapping into life and trade skills, together with mentoring support.  80% of an apprentices time is spent on site with their installer from the Wickes’ Approved Installer Network for kitchens. The other 20% covers formal training which spans across seven block weeks with Nottingham-based WEBS Training Ltd focusing on the technical aspects of fitting a kitchen, bathroom, tiling and flooring as well as electrical and plumbing awareness training.   The apprenticeship also focuses on customer service skills and setting up your own business in order to provide a well-rounded and compelling local installation proposition for customers.

For more information on the Wickes Apprenticeship Scheme and for application forms, visit https://www.wickescareers.co.uk/Apprenticeships.

Source : Wickes

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