John, who has been with Wolseley for 11 years, began working towards the professional qualification back in April 2021, and in January 2022 he became the first Wolseley colleague to complete one of Wolseley’s workplace development programmes, achieving an SVQ Level 4 in Management in record time.

Thanks to the course, John now has a better understanding of how to ensure his branches can improve year-on-year, having been tasked with creating development plans for the seven branches he oversees.

“I initially applied for the role I’m in now some time ago but got knocked back, so I knew I had a skills gap that I needed to bridge. The apprenticeship through the Wolseley Talent Guild allowed me to do just that. I discussed the opportunity with my line manager in a performance review and they were really supportive, and it was something I was determined to do.

“I had 18 months to do the course but managed to complete it in just over half that time, which was nice! It was intense but manageable, and most of the classes were done over Microsoft Teams due to being in lockdown.”

“In total, I had 15 modules to get through, including two specialist subjects, which was great as it meant the training was relevant. I learnt about planning and business management which really helped me in my day-to-day role,” said John.

However, what makes John’s achievements all the more impressive is that his number of direct reports grew whilst he was working towards his qualification.

John added: “I took on two new colleagues while I was doing my course - one has been here six months and the other for four – but thankfully I was able to carry on with my learning whilst developing our new recruits.”

The Wolseley Talent Guild is inclusive and provides all employees access to a clearly defined, fairly applied, and transparent range of opportunities.

It has three key objectives: to improve the engagement levels of existing employees, to maximise their collective talents and ambitions, and to demonstrate to both existing and prospective employees that Wolseley is the ideal place for them to learn and thrive.

To date, Wolseley has invested approximately £100,000 in the Wolseley Talent Guild, while also investing heavily in Training Guild sites around the UK to provide dedicated training and learning facilities.

Stuart Lee, Talent Director at Wolseley said: “The Wolseley Talent Guild provides our employees the best opportunity learn new skills, increase their knowledge and develop behaviours.

“Our congratulations go to John for being our first graduate, who, I’m sure will be the first of many.”