Lewis Ferrer, left, and Mark Bingham pictured with Mr Dave Sanderson outside Jephsons’ offices.
MANSFIELD-BASED Jephsons Shopfitters has taken on two new apprentices.
Lewis Ferrer (17) and Mark Bingham (17), who have started as joinery apprentices, have known each other since primary school and both signed up to study for an apprenticeship in carpentry and joinery at Vision West Nottinghamshire College.
Both where put forward from a group of 30 candidates when Jephsons approached the College.
Jephsons’ production manager Mr Dave Sanderson said: “They both had a good understanding of how the workshop operated and showed willingness when it came to work. It was those qualities that made them stand out and was why we selected them for the job.”
The two spend most of their time learning on the job in the workshop, assisting with the construction of fit-out material for clients such as Costa Coffee, KFC and Pizza Hut.
Mr Nigel Schofield, operations director, said: “We have had apprentices before but not for a while. The type of skills that Lewis and Mark learn on their courses, while different from the day-to-day jobs we do at Jephsons, really complement the work we do when completing bespoke fit-out projects for our clients. “We need a skilled workforce and apprenticeships mean we can develop our future teams.”