Jones Village Bakery to recruit 30 new apprentices
Practical training sessions are run by bakery specialist Paul Andrew, a qualified assessor with Coleg Cambria with whom Village Bakery have partnered to deliver the apprenticeships.
The manufacturer’s current cohort of apprentices are studying for a Level 2 bakery qualification, with the intention of moving on from that to do a Level 3 qualification.
Andrew said: “We’re not just employing people. We’re investing in these guys to make them a better version of themselves so they can deliver the quality we need. The ‘Village People’ are our secret ingredient because most of the managers most of the supervisors have trodden this path.”
Super bakery
The steady flow of new recruits at Village Bakery followed the opening of its new ‘super bakery’ built from the ashes of a devastating factory blaze in 2019. In 2021, the baker announced the creation of 115 new roles at the rebuilt factory.
Group HR manager Jason Page added: “The apprenticeship scheme is what the Village Bakery is all about, bringing talent in, growing them and then having them ready to be the next generation of bakery managers and supervisors supporting the growth of this business.
"We are now looking for our next crop of apprentices because that is the best way for us to succeed and grow as a business. They are the future of the Jones Village Bakery.”
£16m investment
Jones Village Bakery has invested £16m in a new, high-tech production line and announced plans to create a total of 100 extra jobs. The state-of-the-art equipment has been installed at the company’s new 13,006m2 bakery on the Wrexham Industrial Estate.
Managing director Robin Jones concluded: “We’re not necessarily looking for people with fantastic qualifications. We just want people who are driven, who want to learn and who are passionate about baking. In return, we have fantastic training facilities and we can provide a chance of a great career.
Meanwhile, Mondelez apprentice food technologist Kathryn Rose was named Apprentice of the Year at the the Food Manufacture Excellence Awards 2022.
