Working with its partner - Intec Business colleges, Graham Plumbers' Merchant has recently appointed 10 new apprentices throughout a number of its branches across the UK.

Designed to provide young people with a greater insight into Graham, while providing them with the skills needed to carve out a career, the new apprenticeship scheme is now in full swing, with trainees following a structured training plan, which included attending a two-day Saint Gobain induction in early October.

Such training is set to continue with apprentices attending an additional two-day, hands-on product training course in Birmingham in the new year.

Michael Proud, an apprentice at the Southampton branch, said: “I’m really enjoying it. Working here is helping me develop a better understanding of the tools and products used by installers and also showing me how working life really is!”

Another apprentice, Sam Ilkovics of the Manchester Graham branch, added: “It’s been good - it's certainly challenging, but I’m learning different things everyday, which is great."

Ellie Hollis, working in the showroom at London Road in Sheffield, said: “It’s been great! It’s certainly helping me develop my skills for the future, particularly in the sales area.”

Branch assistant at Goole, Sophie Franks, added: “I love it here! It’s helped me develop my skills and I feel this is the road I want to go down. If I could do it with Graham that would be even better!”

Marketing director for Graham, Ian Kenny, said: "We all know how tough it can be to break into the working world - here at Graham, we're keen to help provide apprentices with the tools needed to forge a career. With that in mind, we're dedicated to going the extra mile to provide trainees with the 'hands on' training they require and of course, the eventual aim of helping them to land a role within the business. We've been incredibly impressed by the level of commitment to the apprenticeship scheme and have received some fantastic feedback from the apprentices themselves and the staff that they've been working alongside."