Branch Management Apprentice Review

Branch Management apprentice - 1st year learning all things BSS (part of the Travis Perkins Group). My main goal is to learn as much about the different sections of BSS as possible. I work mainly on the sales operation side of things. I know the warehouse and the stock situation and I'm learning management systems.

I've had to learn an entirely new industry. BSS is a plumbing based compay that deals in commercial pipes and fittings. There is a massive stock portfolio and further to that we can order extra items in from suppliers. I've had to learn about different fittings (copper, steel etc)

I am really enjoying the program. Learning a new skill is great and it's something I can take and use in my day to day life too. The course is varied and I'm constantly learning new things. The day to day is varied which prevents me from getting bored.

The structure of the program is very well organised. Our individual learning plans are on google sheets and stored in our google cloud. This allows everyone who needs to see it (me, manager, coach etc) a live document and access whenever we need. The course is laid out well with appropriate time frames.

My employer has been fantastic at supporting me. My manager specifically checks in on me and discusses my progress. She's always keen to be on the reviews with me and asks how webinars have gone. I'm able to ask for help with any area of the course and the team are .

The training provider has had a clearly outlined course ready for us to embark on. All of the webinars for the year have been set out and the reviews too. I'm able to contact my coach whenever I need to and they're always happy to help. Nothing is too much hassle

The qualification has really helped me to structure the learning required for the job. It set out specific tasks which enable me to move forward in my role. They also provide webinars on our products and the values of Travis Perkins. One of the learning modules was around the systems used within the business.

The branch itself aims to do social events every few weeks. Within the business there are lots of opportunities to join various groups including equality & diversity etc. The company also has a charity of the year, this year the charity is mind. We are encouraged to work together to raise money doing fun events.

Yes

I was unsure about taking on a position in a completely different industry to what I was used to. Throughout the interview through to becoming employed the company were extremely welcoming and provided me with all the info I needed. Once joining the company I have had an extremely warm welcome and a tremendous amount of support.

Be open and honest. As an employer they are more than happy to provide on the job training as long as you're eager and willing to learn. You need to demonstrate people skills and confidence is key. The company provides many choices for promotion and whichever branch you're in you can go anywhere in the TP family.