James Hall promotes its career opportunities externally and internally

James Hall’s HR director Lee Smith (left) and recruitment manager Paul Armson (right) with the four T Level students (left to right) Ben Lintern, Hamza Usmani, Cameron Jackson and Patrick Flanagan.

Welcoming four digital T Level students and engaging with colleges on career opportunities are two of the ways that James Hall & Co is celebrating National Careers Week 2022.

T Level qualifications require a minimum of 45 days of industry placement, and the students from Cardinal Newman College in Preston will spend this time working in the different areas of James Hall’s IT department. These include service desk, the infrastructure team, software development for both retailers and the wholesale division, and working alongside members of the IT business transformation team.

James Hall’s recruitment team have also been out on the road and held a Q&A session with students at Cardinal Newman College in Preston, while also supporting young people at Runshaw College who are looking to make their first steps onto the career ladder.

Internally, there has also been a showcase of the current vacancies within the company, supporting existing employees with the chance to progress in their career.

Based at Bowland View in Preston, James Hall & Co is one of Lancashire’s largest employers with over 3,500 employees, and it serves as SPAR’s primary wholesaler and distributor for the North of England.

As well as the core wholesale and distribution arm, there is a significant retail division with 153 company-owned SPAR stores.

Within the broader James Hall group of companies, businesses include Clayton Park Bakery, Fazila Foods, Graham Eyes Butchers, GAP Convenience Distribution, and the Great Northern Sandwich Company.

Paul Armson, recruitment manager at James Hall & Co, said: “National Careers Week 2022 is the ideal opportunity to promote the vast range of career opportunities that exist within the James Hall group of companies.

“Attracting the best young talent into our business is a key focus for us as we plan for the future, and it is brilliant to get out on the road into colleges with the team speaking directly to students about the opportunities we can provide in Lancashire and across the North of England.”

Emma Rowles, learning and development manager at James Hall & Co, added: “As well as opening up avenues for careers through new routes like T Levels, we have ambitious plans to grow our existing, high-quality apprenticeship offer right up to degree level. This expansion builds upon our longstanding commitment to career development at James Hall & Co and enables the business to continually move forward.”

Ben Lintern, 17, from Cardinal Newman College, said: “I chose to do the digital T Level course because it is interlinked with business and that is another subject area that I really enjoy. The college also really explained the benefits I would get through studying on T Level pathway, and I am gaining real-world experience of working in industry at James Hall & Co. It’s such a diverse and interesting business and it’s great to start here.”

Hamza Usmani, 16, from Cardinal Newman College, commented: “I haven’t yet decided on my career route, but I’m looking at going into cyber security or software programming. The T Level course is the best option for me to achieve this. It’s fantastic to get so much workplace experience with the course and it’s exciting to begin my placement here at James Hall & Co. It’s a huge company with so many different areas, and has strong links with a big global brand in SPAR.”