Winning ways

Q: What training had you undertaken prior to receiving the Career Development Award?
Emma Brooks: Following my college education I completed the Institute of Wood Science course, which helped me to grasp the technical side, and understand the products in more detail. As well as day-to-day training working on a sales desk learning from my more experienced colleagues, I've also been on supplier visits to Finland, Sweden and Poland, IT training, sales courses and specific product training on the flooring side which has been invaluable in my current role.

Jack Gwillim: I’d recently completed the Wood Science Foundation course, for which I achieved a distinction. Prior to this I completed two years at the Barnsley branch where I spent time in all the departments to give me a broad experience of how a large depot operates. I also attended several in-house training days, looking at various aspects of business such as management, finance and sales.

Q: What did winning the Career Development Award mean to you?
EB: It was a big shock to me! I was extremely pleased to have even been short-listed, never mind actually winning it.

JG: I was very keen to enrol on the training courses available to me to learn as much as I could, and I gained a great deal from them. So I was very pleased to receive recognition for what I’d achieved. As the other candidates had achieved a great deal I was very flattered to be chosen as the winner.

Q: Have you undertaken any training since receiving the award?
EB: I've attended a two-day introduction to management course, and I hope to attend future courses in this field as it is something I’m interested in pursuing. I’m very fortunate that Arbor Forest Products is open to identifying and suggesting training requirements. I believe that you should never stop pushing yourself to learn more.

JG: Since receiving the award I’ve received a Diploma in a Management Development, which I was about two-thirds of the way through at the time. It was a two-year course covering all aspects of management, and required several work-based assignments and presentations.

Q: How important has training been in your job?
EB: It has been priceless, especially the intensive training specific to flooring which I received before tackling my current role as this was a completely new product range for our company. It's helped me produce my own training manual which I give to our stockists to help them understand the product and be able to sell it more effectively.

JG: It’s been very important. It's helped me in terms of product knowledge, decision-making, communicating and working with others. For example, the training in understanding timber has made me confident in advising colleagues and customers alike on the subject.

Q: How has your company supported you in the training?
EB: Arbor Forest has been very supportive. When I started as a sales trainee 11 years ago, I was told of the training programme available, and this was something which was important to me as I had decided to take this role as opposed to going to university.

JG: Buildbase has been very supportive, and has made training both readily available and easily accessible. As I have been keen on training courses, they have been just as keen to enrol me on as many as I felt able to do.

Q: What would you like to achieve in your career?
EB: Long term I hope to expand my current role by expanding the product range, develop new trading accounts and generally continue to push the range further. As it's still a relatively new venture for us I'm sure it will continue to test me for a few more years! I'd also like to expand more into the management side, and would like to continue training, particularly in this area.

JG: I'd like to progress to an assistant management role in the near future. Beyond that is branch management and when the time comes I think I would enjoy the challenge and opportunity. In the long term it's difficult to say, but I hope to have no regrets or 'what ifs' when looking back on my career.

Q: Do you think the industry could do more in training?
EB: The industry in general could do more, and should maybe concentrate more on the practical side. While the IWSc course covers the technical side of things, it's very academic and doesn’t test the individual on practical issues. Spending time in our sawmill and in customers' yards taught me a lot about day-to-day issues.

JG: There's always more that can be done when it comes to training. However, there are currently many training opportunities available, so the challenge is to find the right kind of people to benefit from them. Encouraging more young people to enrol on training courses must be a priority as this will improve the quality of employees in the future.

Q: Does the timber industry market itself as a career option to young people?
EB: The timber industry can be very daunting for young people, especially when you're completely new to the trade; and especially for females! However, I think more is done nowadays as a lot of companies are offering in-depth training programmes, and promotional opportunities.

JG: The timber industry arguably does not spring to mind as an obvious career for young people, but with the growing emphasis on training and further education in timber there are more and more diverse and promising career prospects.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your job?
EB: The best part is the diversity. As the flooring department is still developing I'm responsible for purchasing and selling the products effectively, and to continue to market the brand. This involves liaising with different overseas suppliers, customers and internal departments to ensure everything runs smoothly.

JG: There are several aspects of my job that I enjoy, but a couple do stand out. The challenge of sales provides a lot of satisfaction, and amongst my colleagues and customers there are many colourful characters who are great to work with.

Q: What do you enjoy least about your job?
EB: There's nothing I strongly dislike, although sometimes the long hours travelling and the overnight stays can get a little tiresome! However, overall I'm really enjoying this new challenge and learning curve.

JG: There are, inevitably, some days when things can get a little repetitive and the same issues keep cropping up, so it's always good when a new project or task presents a new challenge.

Q: Do you have any criticisms of the way the timber industry operates?
EB: My main criticism is how few women there are working in the timber trade, although over the years I've noticed a slight change. It's a very male-dominated trade, and it can be very intimidating coming into such an environment. However, I've not personally found it much of a concern; if you are confident in your own abilities you will succeed.

JG: As with any industry there are criticisms that can be made, such as the argument that logging for timber causes deforestation, and more specifically the demand for cheap Chinese goods that is contributing to illegal and destructive logging. However, on the positive side more and more organisations are supporting and promoting FSC and PEFC timber, which will continue to improve the industry as a whole.

Q: Would you recommend a career in the timber industry to young people today?
EB: I would recommend it for people who want a diverse career. There are many different areas to work in and many opportunities to progress through.

JG: Most definitely. With the expectations of both employers and employees increasing there is plenty of scope for ambitious young people to progress and have a successful, rewarding career. And due to the growing emphasis on training and education in the industry, there are many opportunities to learn and develop.