Furniture Makers accepting nomination for 2024 Young Professional Industry Experience 

We are now accepting nominations for the 2024 Young Professional Industry Experience.

The programme, which is resuming in 2024 after a four-year hiatus, provides aspiring young people working in the industry a unique opportunity to visit sector leading companies and understand all areas of the wider trade, including materials, designing, manufacturing, pricing, marketing, sales and customer service.

It is aimed at young professionals, with three years or less experience in the industry, who have shown promise as leaders and would benefit from the opportunity of gaining a 360-degree perspective of the entire trade.

Eight young people will be selected to take part in the tour of over 20 companies, which will include masterclasses with businesses including Axminster Tools, Hypnos, Miller Knoll, Ocee & Four Design, Panaz, SATRA and the Sylva Foundation.

The deadline for applications is Friday 16 February. Applicants will be informed if they have made it through to the shortlisting interviews in early March, with short virtual interviews taking place later the same month. The programme will run in alternate weeks from Monday 3 June – Friday 5 July, with a presentation lunch to employers and industry stakeholders taking place on Thursday 25 July.

Ben Brook, now a customer support manager at CD UK who participated in the 2017 programme, said: “The course really opened my eyes to the overall supply chain and my company’s role within it. Being able to visit these companies first hand and get an exclusive look into their operations is an opportunity which many of my colleagues are envious. I would recommend this course to anyone looking to get a better understanding of the industry.”

The programme is free to attend but employers are required to cover the travel, accommodation, and subsistence of their employees during the three weeks of the programme.

For more information, please contact Rebecca Bertram Smith, education and training manager at The Furniture Makers’ Company: rebecca@furnituremakers.org.uk.