One of the UK’s leading fit-out and joinery specialists has taken on seven new members of staff after they successfully completed an apprenticeship programme with the business – which saw them all pass with a Distinction.
EE Smith, based in Leicester, has appointed Fenton Williams, Oscar Allen, Adam Ball, Chris Burnett, Mark Cluer, Jack Mullings and Padraig Taylor as Bench Hand Joiners.
It comes after they all successfully completed a two-year Furniture Manufacturing apprenticeship with EE Smith through delivery partner Leicester College.
They were the first cohort to use EE Smith’s dedicated learning centre which was opened two years ago and provides a specialist area for apprentices to hone their skills.
It marked a significant milestone for the company’s investment in training and skills development after all seven apprentices passed with a Distinction.
The apprenticeship programme sees students spend 80 per cent of their time on-site, which is split between the learning centre where they are taught by dedicated trainers and the main production workshop where they are paired with a qualified Bench Hand Joiner, and 20 per cent at Leicester College.
They also hold an awards ceremony to highlight the achievements of the apprentices, with the 2025 Apprentice of the Year Award presented to Fenton Williams and the Rising Star Award presented to first year apprentice Alice Musgrove.
EE Smith’s 2025 intake sees a further 8 new Apprentices and 3 trainees joining the Leicester programme, along with 2 new London Apprentices and four already within the business who have just moved into their second year.
Claire Noble, HR Manager at EE Smith, said: “It is fantastic to welcome seven extremely talented Bench Hand Joiners to the business as permanent members of the team as a result of their exceptional achievements.
“We are very proud of our apprenticeship programme, and it is clear that the investment in our dedicated learning centre is already paying dividends.
“The new dedicated learning centre provides a more structured approach and we have some very committed in-house trainers supporting them.
“We work on some extremely prestigious projects, and it really gives us the opportunity to develop talent from the ground up.
“We have been based in Leicester from more than 125 years, and we always try to give back to our community by striving to recruit and train local people, with a third all of employees starting their careers at EE Smith Contacts as apprentices
“We are also aware that many of our apprentices join us between the ages of 16 and 18, so we do everything we can to help them settle into working while they study.
“This includes holding a special welcome event for the new starters and their parents just before they join, providing free lunches before their first pay day and regular wellbeing checks throughout their apprenticeship.
“It is also wonderful to be able to give recognition to our apprentices at our annual awards ceremony, and it was excellent to see Alice, who is our only female apprentice, receive the Rising Star Award.
“We look forward to continuing to support our current apprentices to progress.”
Fenton added: “I am very pleased to join EE Smith as a Bench Hand Joiner. The business has provided me with a wealth of experience and the opportunity to develop high-quality skills which will stand me in good stead to have a successful career in the industry.
“It was also excellent to be named Apprentice of the Year 2025 in recognition of my achievements.”
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