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There is a shortage of skilled floorlayers in this country and it is getting worse as the existing workforce ages. The reason is structural rather than anything to do with young people not wanting the work.
Most flooring companies cannot train anyone. They rely on subcontract fitters who are paid by the job, and a subcontractor simply cannot afford to carry someone who is not yet productive. There is no room in that model for a beginner, however keen they are.
We employ our fitting teams directly, which is what makes it possible for us to train. An apprentice working alongside one of our experienced installers is not costing a self-employed fitter his day rate, so there is no pressure to get rid of them before they are any good at it.
We have been running the programme for four years and have taken on seven apprentices in that time. It is not a gesture. It is how we intend to keep having fitters in ten years.
The training is split between formal learning and the job itself.
Structured training with FITA. FITA, the Flooring Industry Training Association, delivers block training roughly every three months. That covers the things that are difficult to pick up properly on site: the theory, the standards, the techniques done correctly rather than however the nearest person happens to do them.
The rest is on site, working alongside our most experienced installers on real jobs. You learn subfloor preparation, measuring, cutting, seaming, stairs and door bars by doing them with someone who has been doing them for twenty years standing next to you.
You come out with a recognised qualification. Apprentices gain formal NVQ qualifications, which means a CSCS card and access to commercial and construction sites that are closed to anyone without one. That qualification belongs to you and it is portable. If you decide after three years that you want to work somewhere else, or for yourself, you can.
No experience and no flooring background. We will teach you the trade from nothing.
What matters is turning up on time, being willing to do the unglamorous parts of the job, and being someone our fitters and our customers can have in their house. The rest is teachable. Most of our apprentices had never laid a floor in their lives before they started.
We take on two apprentice floorlayers every year. The cycle is the same each time:
If you are reading this outside that window it is still worth getting in touch. We would rather hear from you early and have your name in front of us when interviews come round than have you assume it is too late.
To apply, email info@carpet-style.co.uk. You do not need a polished CV and you do not need any flooring experience. Tell us who you are, roughly where you live and why the trade interests you. That is enough to start a conversation.
Apprenticeships are not the only way in. If you are an experienced floorlayer, or you are interested in showroom and customer-facing work across our Netherfield, Wollaton, Duffield or Ashby-de-la-Zouch branches, write to the same address and tell us what you are looking for.
We have been trading since 1981 and employ around twenty-five people directly. Most of our longest-serving staff came in with no flooring background at all.
How many apprentices do you take on?
Two apprentice floorlayers every year. Interviews run from April to June for a September start. We have been running the programme for four years and have taken on seven apprentices in that time.
Do I need experience or qualifications to apply?
No. No flooring experience and no particular qualifications. We teach the trade from the beginning. What matters is turning up on time, being willing to do the unglamorous parts of the job, and being someone our fitters and our customers are comfortable having in their home.
What qualification do I come out with?
A recognised NVQ, which means you can get a CSCS card. That card is what gets you onto commercial and construction sites, which are closed to anyone without one. The qualification is yours and it is portable — it goes with you wherever you work afterwards.
Who delivers the training?
FITA, the Flooring Industry Training Association, runs structured block training roughly every three months. The rest of the learning happens on site, working alongside our most experienced installers on real jobs.
When should I apply?
Any time. Interviews are April to June for a September start, but applications are welcome year round and it does no harm to be early. Email info@carpet-style.co.uk — you do not need a polished CV, just tell us who you are, roughly where you live and why the trade interests you.
Do you have vacancies other than apprenticeships?
Apprenticeships are not the only route in. If you are an experienced floorlayer, or interested in showroom and customer-facing work at Netherfield, Wollaton, Duffield or Ashby-de-la-Zouch, write to info@carpet-style.co.uk and tell us what you are looking for.
Why do so few flooring companies train apprentices?
It is structural rather than a lack of interest from young people. Most firms rely on subcontract fitters paid by the job, and a subcontractor cannot afford to carry someone who is not yet productive. We employ our fitting teams directly, which removes that pressure and is what makes training possible for us.
