NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK: Experience passed on, not lost.
- Feb 11
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 12
National Apprenticeship Week often focuses on what the future of skills might look like.
At Hull Flooring, it’s also a moment to pause and reflect on something that’s been quietly happening here for decades. Experience is being passed on, day by day, person to person. Not lost as people move on, but carried forward in the way people work, think, and approach their craft.
Darran is one of our longest-serving team members, (pictured far right, above) having joined Hull Flooring in 1986 on a YTS scheme when he was just 17. Like many who started their careers on the tools, what stayed with Darran from those early days wasn’t just the technical skill, but the camaraderie. Working alongside experienced tradespeople, travelling the country with the lads, and learning by watching, listening, and getting stuck in.
Over the years, the industry has changed a great deal, yet there is still so much to learn. Health and safety standards have moved on significantly, products are safer, and expectations are higher. But the fundamentals at Hull Flooring have always stayed the same. A strong work ethic, a shared sense of responsibility, and a belief that if a job is worth doing, it should be done properly.
“Flooring is often dismissed as “just a floor”. Anyone who’s done the job knows that couldn’t be further from the truth. Different spaces demand different approaches. Healthcare, education, leisure, and live environments. Each one requires problem-solving, adaptability, and experience you can’t learn from a book.“
That understanding has shaped Darran’s working life and, over the years, it’s something he’s passed on to others around him.
Andy’s story runs closely alongside Darran’s. Andy joined Hull Flooring in 1983, having grown up around the trade and shadowed his dad from a young age. Flooring was the family trade, and when Andy started at Hull Flooring, his dad was already working there.
Andy spent 11 years with the business, learning the trade on site, working alongside a close-knit team, and developing not just his technical skills, but his approach to work. Those years shaped how he thinks about quality, problem-solving, and doing the job properly.
Over time, Andy’s path took him in a different direction, shaped by the experience he gained along the way. Today, he works for Altro, one of Hull Flooring’s key suppliers. It’s a reminder that when experience is passed on properly, it strengthens the whole industry, not just one company.
That same passing-on of knowledge is happening right now.
Will is our apprentice floor fitter and is currently completing his Level 2 apprenticeship framework in flooring, on the cusp of taking his exams. Like many apprentices, the early days weren’t easy. New environments, new expectations, and moments of feeling out of depth. But by showing up, asking questions, and learning directly from experienced fitters, his confidence has grown alongside his skills.
He talks with real pride about the people he’s learned from,
The lads are some of the best fitters I’ve come across and they really support my career growth. They are so proud of the work they do, and it inspires me to do the same in my career too.
The trade has given Will confidence, a voice, and a clear sense of where he wants to go next. He’s keen to keep progressing, with the same gusto he brought with him when he first started.
And this week, that journey continues again as we welcome George, who has just joined Hull Flooring as a new apprentice. At 21, he’s straight into live work, starting with preparation on a major leisure project at Alton Towers. He’s excited by the variety of the role, the chance to travel, and the opportunity to learn a trade that will stay with him for life.
Preparation is where every good floor begins, and it’s also where learning starts. Watching closely, listening carefully, and getting stuck in.
At Hull Flooring, apprenticeships aren’t a box to tick. They’re a responsibility.
The standards people learn here don’t just shape how they work. They shape how they think, how they problem-solve, and how they approach life beyond the job.
That’s the Hull Flooring way.
Career opportunities
If you think you have what it takes to get stuck in with the Hull Flooring team, get in touch. We'd love to hear from you.
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