ARE YOU OUR NEXT APPRENTICE?

THE OPEN DAY

We are seeking to recruit two local teenagers of school-leaving age with an interest in woodwork, craft, the furniture sector and working in a business environment to be our next apprentices. Managing director, Simon Taylor and members of our friendly team will be on-hand to meet with you, and your parents / guardians.

• We will show you round our showroom and cabinet workshop, where you will see demonstrations of woodworking and making handcrafted furniture.
• You will have the opportunity to meet with current apprentices taking the same course.
• Following the event, interested candidates will be invited back to be individually interviewed.

THE APPRENTICESHIP

We are offering placements on a Level 2 Furniture Manufacturer Apprenticeship, or a new scheme for Furniture Installation. The schemes are run in partnership with Rycotewood College in Thame, Oxfordshire, and the successful candidates will achieve a recognised qualification at the end of the course.

The placement will be offered to successful candidates due to leave school at the end of this year’s summer term.

They will start work as an apprentice at Simon Taylor Furniture from June 2024, commencing their college course from September 2024.

While at Rycotewood College, they will perform intensive one-week training blocks, where they will engage in carefully planned skills development projects.

The rest of the time will be spent on professional training in the Simon Taylor Furniture cabinet workshop.

Whilst being continually assessed at the college, workplace training will include learning to use all hand tools and machinery using a shadow board, learning woodworking skills and making handcrafted furniture, understanding safety procedures both at work and on-site, and learning the business disciplines required to be part of a team.

In addition to providing a portfolio of work-based evidence, the successful candidate will have to provide two online assessments, about the industry in which they are working and on Health & Safety.

The course runs for two years.

AWARD-WINNING

In 2022 and 2023, Simon Taylor Furniture was the recipient of the Apprenticeship Programme of the Year Award at the KBBFocus Awards. KBBFocus is an online industry title aimed at the kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms (KBB) sector. Simon Taylor Furniture has also won numerous awards dedicated to design and installation. In 2023, managing director, Simon Taylor was the recipient of an Outstanding Contribution Award to the KBB industry at the BKU Awards for his work on apprenticeships.