A Recruitment Coordinator at James Hall & Co. Ltd has won a Highly Commended Award at the National Apprenticeship Awards North West Regional Final.
Emily Bingham was one of two Level 2 North West finalists in the highly competitive awards which saw a total of 1,200 nominations submitted across all categories.
Emily has achieved her Level 2 Recruitment Resourcer Apprenticeship after a complete career change which was enforced when she lost her previous job because of the pandemic.
She initially joined the company as a HR Administrator on a temporary contract, before taking up an opportunity to join the business’ new in-house recruitment team.
Emily has had a strong impact in her role, supporting the recruitment of a new Customer Service department and a new food production team that enabled James Hall & Co. Ltd to successfully launch its Clayton Park Kitchen home replacement meals – the company’s biggest product launch in several years.
On top of her day-to-day responsibilities, Emily has also supported careers events in schools and colleges in the Preston area, promoting Apprenticeships and the broad range of job opportunities at SPAR and James Hall & Co. Ltd.
She also worked in partnership with Preston’s Community Gateway Association (CGA) to establish a Workwear Bank, launched to support CGA’s residents and tenants who are struggling to afford smart clothes for interviews and for work amid the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Emily has now started a Level 5 Operations Management Apprenticeship as she continues her professional development in her new career.
Emily said: “It is hugely satisfying to be Highly Commended in the National Apprenticeship Awards Regional Final. My Apprenticeship has had a tremendous impact on me and what I want from a career.
“Recruitment was brand new to me, but I quickly realised the wide range of skills and abilities it requires, the dedication it takes to be successful, and the satisfaction of seeing your hard work play out in the form of a successful hire.
“During my Apprenticeship I have developed a genuine passion for recruitment, and I have developed a clear understanding of the importance of recruiting properly when structures are created, and significant time and organisation is put into it.
“A new career was not planned but having lost my previous job because of the Covid-19 pandemic, I have found my place in recruitment as I love working with people.
“I feel driven to continue my career and progress on to eventually manage people and pass on what I have learnt. I am continuing my learning through qualifications, and want to play a key role in enhancing the in-house recruitment service for James Hall & Co. Ltd.”
Paul Armson, Recruitment Manager at James Hall & Co. Ltd, said: “Emily’s award is richly deserved, and I’m thrilled for her to have received recognition in these extremely competitive awards. Her development has been nothing short of phenomenal and she is a natural in the field of recruitment.
“She has developed her ability and knowledge in how to talk to candidates, promote the brand, and organise and carry out assessment sessions, all while also helping to train other HR Administrators to assist the Recruitment Team during busy periods.
“The work she has done has had a genuine positive impact on the business and ensured new teams across Customer Service and Production have been in place on schedule to drive business improvements and growth.”
James Hall & Co. Ltd is a fifth-generation family business which serves a network of independent SPAR retailers and company-owned SPAR stores across Northern England six days a week from its base at Bowland View in Preston.
For more information about James Hall & Co. Ltd, please visit www.jameshall.co.uk.
