Award-winning Aylesbury business to host apprenticeships open day for school leavers

An award-winning Aylesbury business is hosting an apprenticeship open day later this month.

Simon Taylor Furniture is hosting an open day on 20 April and hoping to find two new apprentices at the event.

It will be at the showroom and cabinet workshop of the multi-award-winning bespoke furniture business in Bierton between 10am and 2pm. Staff members are hoping to find teenagers of school leaving age with an interest in craft and woodworking. Parents and guardians are also encouraged to attend the event held by the company that creates bespoke furniture.

Simon Taylor Furniture is seeking two apprentices on a part work-based, part academic Level 2 Furniture Manufacturer scheme held in association with Rycotewood Furniture College in Thame.

Successful candidates will start work at Simon Taylor Furniture from June, beginning their college course from September.

While at Rycotewood College, they will perform intensive one-week training blocks, completing skills development projects.

The rest of the time will be spent on professional training at the business’s workshop site. The apprentices will work alongside Josh Hudson, furniture lead at Rycotewood, and business founder, Simon Taylor, is developing a new Level 2 Fitted Furniture Installer Apprenticeship scheme to start from January 2025.

In 2023, Simon Taylor Furniture was the recipient of Apprenticeship Scheme of the Year at the KBBFocus Awards, and managing director, Mr Taylor, received an Outstanding Contribution Award for his services to apprenticeships at the BKU Awards. He said: “We are excited to be holding our second Apprenticeship Open Day on 20 Saturday April. We are keen to meet with candidates from local schools who are keen to have a career in the furniture sector and who wish to take up an apprenticeship, where they earn while they learn. I am passionate about recruiting younger people into our sector, and to help them progress with their early careers.

“Our Open Day will be an opportunity for candidates to visit us, with their parents or guardians, to meet with our team of skilled craftspeople and to chat with our current apprentices about their experiences.”

Bookings can be made online or by calling the business on 01296 488207.