AWARD WINNING Parkdean Holidays is driving to recruit over 100 young people this year with its ‘Aspire’ apprenticeship programme in a bid to triple its intake of apprentices throughout 2015, with vacancies across the UK and at its head office in Gosforth, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.
The holiday park operator’s apprenticeship programme will offer talented young people the chance to develop their skills in various areas of the business including customer service, administration, grounds keeping, housekeeping, sales, leisure and hospitality.
Parkdean currently has over 30 apprentices training at its parks in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Norfolk, Scotland and Wales on the 12 month programme, which includes high quality training, a personal mentor and a buddy to fully support and advise the apprentice.
Apprentices receive a weekly wage which is above the national average throughout their apprenticeship.
Samantha Wall, head of recruitment at Parkdean, said: “Parkdean is looking for hardworking, motivated, responsible and positive team-players with an interest in hospitality or travel and a willingness to learn.
“Our apprenticeship programme offers young people the chance to learn from and work with a highly successful national business – I urge anyone who is interested to get in touch.”
Parkdean Holidays has a long-standing and successful relationship with the NECC (North East Chamber of Commerce) based in Gosforth who has supported their apprenticeship programme since it began.
The holiday operator has now also partnered with learndirect, a company which specialises in the recruitment and training of apprentices, for the first time this year to assist them with rolling out the apprenticeship programme throughout the UK.
Steve Morris, Sales Director at learndirect, said: “We’re really pleased to be working with Parkdean on their new Apprenticeship programme. Over the coming months we’ll be helping them to source new people onto Apprenticeships and training their staff so they are qualified and have the knowledge and skills needed so Parkdean can provide an excellent service to their customers.
“At learndirect we’re working with more and more businesses who are seeing the benefits of Apprenticeships: creating a talent pipeline for the future; bringing new people into the business and providing consistent and high quality training, to name three.”
John Waterworth, Chief Executive at Parkdean Holidays, added: “Apprentices are the employees of the future, bringing fresh new talent and ideas into the business, along with a willingness to learn.”
Parkdean’s HR Director Maggie Pavlou added: “Finding employment can often be difficult for school leavers. Our apprenticeship programme gives young people the chance to identify and build on their strengths as well as learn how to use them in a working environment. They gain a recognised qualification whilst working and also get paid a weekly wage.
“We pride ourselves on offering high quality training to our apprentices, allowing them to develop and grow in confidence as they are given more responsibilities.”
To find out more information about Parkdean Holidays’ apprenticeship programme and to apply, please visit http://www.parkdeanltd.com/apprentice-current-vacancies-eng.aspx.
CASE STUDY
Joe Watchman is now a holiday homes sales advisor at Parkdean Holidays after completing his 12 month apprenticeship programme in March 2014.
After leaving school and going on to study A Levels, Joe, 19, from Plymouth, was eager to step out of the classroom and get some real-life work experience whilst still learning.
Joe first saw the opportunity to join Parkdean Holidays as an apprentice in their holiday homes sales department at Challaborough Bay Holiday Park in Devon on the Government’s National Apprenticeship website: www.gov.uk/further-education-skills/apprenticeships.
After completing his apprenticeship, Joe’s progress and appetite for learning meant he was offered a permanent position as a holiday home sales administrator.
Since then, Joe has been promoted to a holiday homes sales advisor and is now working at Sandford Holiday Park in Dorset.
Joe said: “I’ve learnt so much since starting my apprenticeship with Parkdean, skills I would never have learnt in a classroom. Being part of a real-life working environment and being given the ability to manage my own day-to-day responsibilities has helped me to develop so much.
“I’ve been lucky enough to start a career that I’m really passionate about. I love the social element to my job, there is no better feeling then getting to know our customers and helping them to find their perfect holiday home where they will have many happy memories.”