Wrexham bakery invests in staff with apprenticeships

Praise for the eight apprentices at the Jones Village Bakery in Wrexham came from their Coleg Cambria tutor, Yvonne Evans.

She was speaking after presenting them with certificates after gaining a Level 2 NVQ Diploma in bakery skills and knowledge.

Usually, 18 months is allowed to complete the course but the Village Bakery apprentices were able to do all the work in a year, she said, because the company was so supportive.

Ms Evans, a work-based learning practitioner in food and drink manufacturing, said: "The company takes training very seriously because it develops the skills of the workforce - and they are the future.

Pictured watching Paul Andrew of Village Bakery are, from left, Leanne Bell, Yvonne Evans of Coleg Cambria, Rhys Keight, Matty Wright, Dan Roberts and Matt Ennis. Photo: Mandy Jones

"It's about investing in the people and as they develop, they grow through the business, going on to be supervisors and managers. People are learning and earning while they develop their skills. It's a real positive."

Among the successful candidates was Matt Ennis, 49, who joined the Village Bakery two-and-a-half years ago.

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Since then, he has risen through the ranks and is now a supervisor on the flagship sourdough bread production line.

He said: "I love working here and I'm looking to progress further in my career. What I like is that it's still growing as a company and there are lots of opportunities.

"If you work hard and you're focused, you will be rewarded and the training is brilliant. It gives you a better insight into the role as a whole and the craft of baking."

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Also part of the training programme was Leanne Bell, who works as a recruitment co-ordinator in the HR department.

Even though she's not a frontline baker, she joined the apprenticeship scheme to gain a better understanding of the types of skills needed to do the job.

She said: "It was a great opportunity. I interview many people who apply for production roles and it's great to get a better insight into what they do in the bakery and learn more about the processes involved.

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"It's been a real eye-opener and I have learned so much which will be a big help to make sure we're selecting the right people."

Paul Andrew, the company's Master Baker, who taught hands-on bakery skills to the apprentices, was as "proud as punch" of his proteges.

He said: "I've worked as a baker for more than 35 years and it's a real pleasure for me to see these guys coming through and being successful. It's great to see their enthusiasm and hard work being rewarded.

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"I really enjoy teaching the apprentices, it's my favourite part of the job. Many of the best people we have in our business have come through the apprenticeship programme.

"We're not just employing people. We're investing in them to make them a better version of themselves so they can deliver the quality that we need.

"The Village People are our magic ingredient because most of our bakery managers and supervisors have trodden this path."

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It was a sentiment echoed by CEO Robin Jones who said the Village Bakery's "grow your own policy" of promoting people from within the company was key to its success.

On top of the long running apprenticeship scheme, the company is now setting up an in-house management training programme.

He said: "It's lovely to see we've now got a legacy of skilled bakers continuing to come through the business and helping to build the foundations for future success and growth.

"We are now taking the next step with our own management training programme to provide our team with an even better skillset to drive the Village Bakery forward to even greater success."