Step-up for students offered by Shrewsbury firm

Morris Joinery has offered work experience to five prospective bench joiners who will have the opportunity to gain a full-time traineeship or apprenticeship in September. 

The Shropshire company’s team attended Careers Week at Shrewsbury College to meet joinery and carpentry students – and it ignited the idea to invite interested students to spend time with Morris Joinery and put their skills into practice whilst learning more about their trade in a working environment. 

Each of the selected students will spend four days in the joinery workshop at Bicton Business Park, Shrewsbury, to observe experienced bench joiners and carry out tasks to assess their hand-skills and attention to detail. 

After six weeks, three students will be shortlisted to go back for another week's work experience, and following this Morris Joinery will recruit the most successful students as apprentices. 

The aim for Morris Joinery is to provide an insight into a realistic working environment helping student's upskill and build their CV's whilst giving the successful apprentices an opportunity to continue learning whilst working and earning. 

Steve Granda, Morris Joinery manager, said: "With the skills shortage in the industry, we felt it was important to inspire the next generation and look for students who we can nurture and develop into highly skilled craftsmen. 

“These students showed determination and a desire to learn when we first met them and so it was only natural that we offered them an opportunity to show their practical skills with a view to recruiting the most successful."  

Picture: Joinery manager Steve Granda with student Josh Davies