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Willerby hires over 30 apprentices as holiday homes boom opens up exciting opportunities

The first group of apprentices celebrate starting their careers at holiday homes market leader Willerby with, back from left, Group Finance Director Sue Allan, CEO Peter Munk and Head of People Susan Pender.

More than 30 young people are beginning exciting careers with holiday homes market leader Willerby following the biggest recruitment of apprentices in the company’s 75-year history.

More than 350 applications were received for a broad range of roles and 34 young people aged between 16 and 21 are beginning their exciting new training and career opportunities at the company’s headquarters in Hull in two waves just a few weeks apart.

Willerby’s move to employ this new pipeline of talent comes as the business continues to grow and respond to the huge demand for high-quality holiday homes and the increasing popularity of staycations.

Almost a third of the new recruits are female, showing the success of Willerby’s drive for greater workforce gender balance within a traditionally male-dominated industry.


The apprenticeships recruitment is just the latest evidence of Willerby’s investment in its workforce, which has grown to around 1,100. This summer Willerby opened a fifth production line at its Hull site and has taken on well over 200 additional staff within the past year, in response to its bulging order book, which is now full until late 2022.

The first wave of apprentices began their induction at Willerby last week and were welcomed to the business by Willerby CEO Peter Munk, Finance Director Sue Allan and Head of People Susan Pender. The rest of the new recruits will join in the next few weeks.

Susan said: “I’m so excited about this because it says so much about the investment we’re putting into the front end of people’s careers. It demonstrates Willerby’s commitment to supporting our local community and putting something back as our business grows.

“It’s great that we can offer these apprenticeships to young people who perhaps otherwise wouldn’t have had opportunities such as this, because of the pandemic, or haven’t had the greatest end to their formal education because of the disruption in schools and colleges caused by COVID.

“It’s fantastic to celebrate our 75th year as the UK’s number one manufacturer of holiday homes with our largest ever cohort of apprentices.”
Rosie Staniforth, 21, from Hedon, East Yorkshire, has taken up a Level 3 Business Administrator Apprenticeship, to be completed over 18 months.

Rosie, a young mum with a three-year-old son, said: “I’d love to build my career at Willerby. Here it’s like one big family and I felt at home straight away. This is such a great opportunity for me and it’s brilliant to start something new.”

Former Hull Trinity House Academy student Bradley Moyo, 16, from east Hull, has begun a three-year Level 3 Installation and Maintenance Electrician Apprenticeship.

He said: “I’ve always wanted an apprenticeship because I want to earn while I learn. My role will include everything from installing lights and electric fires to fitting plug sockets in the holiday homes.

“It’s very special to be part of the biggest single intake of apprentices in Willerby’s history. It’s a great place and time to start my career.”
Hull West and Hessle MP Emma Hardy, a former Shadow Minister for Further Education and Universities, welcomed the bumper crop of young recruits.

She said: “Willerby said it intended to bring on board the biggest intake of young talent in its history and it’s great to see the company delivering on that promise. It’s fantastic to see these young people starting their careers off with one of Hull’s biggest and best employers.”