TRAINING ZONE Fast track to success

This month, the BMF takes a look at the recognition given to merchant trainees by the Worshipful Company of Builders Merchants.

Each year the Worshipful Company of Builders Merchants (WCoBM) celebrates the achievements of some of the rising stars within our industry. This year, in addition to its own awards, the WCoBM nominated an exceptional young person to receive their Livery Company Prize, which honours an ‘outstanding achievement’ by a student who has taken a City & Guild qualification in the trade of a Livery Company.

The winner of this prestigious award was Leo Brigham, a stand-out spares assistant in Travis Perkins’ Highbourne business, who excelled in his LEAP Level 2 Trade Supplier Spares Specialist apprenticeship. Leo was part of the first cohort to enrol on this apprenticeship within the business, and the first learner to complete the programme — which he did with a distinction, only dropping three marks across his portfolio and assessment.

Commenting on Leo’s performance, his LEAP coach Ben Barber said: “Leo has already been promoted to the branch spares assistant and is well on his way to becoming the spares manager that he aspires to be. It has been a privilege to coach Leo through his apprenticeship — I cannot wait to see how he progresses.”

The WCoBM’s own City and Awards luncheon recognises individual achievements in several different categories, including training and development. This year’s Award winners included three students from the Builders’ Merchants Federation (see picture), with the accolades announced recently during a prestigious event at Fishmongers Hall.

Hannah McBride of Tippers was awarded Best BMF Online Student whilst Adam Ledger took the prize for Best Performing BMF Diploma Student and Jordan Harrington of Turnbull was named BMF Apprentice of the Year.

Hannah’s commitment to personal development saw her achieve 67 completions — 25 hours of online learning — across a wide range of topics relating to products, building blocks, and transferable skills.

Adam’s dedication, meanwhile, led him to part fund the course himself when he changed jobs part way through his Diploma. Reasoning that he will “reap the benefits for years to come,” he explained: “'The biggest thing the BMF Diploma in Merchant Managing has given me is a true sense of my own self-worth and confidence in developing my career. I cannot recommend the DiMM course enough to anyone in the materials supply industry.”

Jordan’s career has also progressed since embarking on his LEAP Level 3 Team Leader apprenticeship and he has already earned a welldeserved promotion. He said: “Since starting the course I’ve progressed from Sales Trader to Assistant Branch Manager at the new Horncastle branch and have settled in really well into my new role. The course has played a vital role in this step forward — the work has been helpful in my day-to-day work and the Insights training at the start helped on a personal level as well.”

His manager, Andrew Chapman, commented: “The change in Jordan in such a short period has been staggering and I’m incredibly proud to have been part of his journey so far.”

To find out more about the full range of BMF training courses, please contact Kerry Wilson on 07387 239194 or email kerry.wilson@bmf.org.uk n BMF training ranges from formal Apprenticeships and, with leading British universities, sector-specific Diplomas, Degrees and a Masters Degree in Merchant Leadership and Strategy, to online product knowledge and other specialist skills training.