Earn and learn
Apprentices take chance to earn while they learn
With 10 apprenticeship programmes, Wetherspoon has much to offer ambitious workers.
During February 2023, the 16th annual National Apprenticeship Week brought together the entire apprenticeship community to celebrate the value, benefit and opportunity of apprenticeships.
The theme for National Apprenticeship Week 2023 was ‘skills for life’ (#SkillsForLife), reflecting on how apprenticeships can help individuals to develop the skills and knowledge for a rewarding career – and how Wetherspoon can develop a talented workforce, equipped for the future.
Here, some of Wetherspoon’s apprentices share their stories on how their apprenticeship programme has helped their career development and reveal their plans for the future.
Name: Hayden Brown Position: Bar associate Pub: The Coliseum Picture Theatre (Cleethorpes)
Hayden said: “When I chose to take part in the apprenticeship scheme, it had been less than a year since I decided to leave college. I enjoy my job, so thought I would like to expand on my knowledge of the industry and also wanted to gain my maths qualification.
“I’m still an associate with the company – and the apprenticeship is really supporting my ambition to become a team leader. I applied for a team leader role and received really good feedback from my pub manager.
“My career plan, for after I finish the apprenticeship scheme, is to become promoted to team leader and expand my knowledge further by doing the level 3 food and beverage apprenticeship.”
Name: Kim Parkinson Position: Shift manager Pub: The Twelve Tellers (Preston)
Kim said: “I am currently on a level 4 hospitality manager apprenticeship, having previously completed a level 3 apprenticeship, as I want to further my knowledge in the hospitality industry.
“During my time on apprenticeships, I have been promoted from team leader to shift manager. The programme has helped me to understand the type of manager I want to be.
“I plan to stay with Wetherspoon and move to a head-office role.
“I would like to run my own pub first and complete the level 6 chartered manager degree apprenticeship alongside this.”
Name: Lewis Whitbread Position: Kitchen shift leader Pub: The Steel Foundry (Sheffield)
Lewis said: “The apprenticeship definitely played a massive role in my ability to carry out my job effectively and gave me a greater understanding of the job role and the importance of carrying out procedures correctly and thoroughly.
“I feel that the apprenticeship gave me a greater understanding of why we do the things we do, daily, and the significance of them, by giving me a better understanding of my job role.
“It allowed me to progress with the company at a faster rate, with several promotions in quick succession and, even more so, a desire to continue that development.
“I could not recommend the scheme highly enough to anyone looking to develop a career with the company.”
Name: Rosie Maude Position: Shift leader Pub: The Percy Shaw (Halifax)
Rosie said: “I started the apprenticeship as a team leader and have since been promoted to shift leader.
“I feel that I would not have progressed so quickly (two promotions within 10 months) without the apprenticeship opportunity.
“I left school to go travelling and went to college to study beauty therapy, while working for Wetherspoon, but soon realised that it wasn’t for me.
“I wanted to learn about the hospitality industry – and the apprenticeship has offered me that. I am hoping to take my third year apprenticeship next.
“It is never too early to think about your next steps, so you need to set yourself goals and targets to aim for.”
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Make working for us work for you.
If you’d like to join the friendly, fun team, learn while you earn work hours to suit you, get free food on every shift, plus employee discount and a whole lot more benefits too – apply for an apprenticeship role today.
Apprenticeships are not available in the Republic of Ireland.
