Meet - Howdens
Howdens is the UK’s No.1 trade kitchen supplier with over 800 depots across the UK and Europe, trusted by 460,000 trade professionals. As a top apprenticeship employer since 2022, we prioritize talent development with training, career growth, and supportive management. Our entrepreneurial culture seeks individuals eager to grow through apprenticeships such as Trade Supplier, Customer Service Practitioner, Supply Chain Warehouse Operative, Fitted Furniture Design Technician, and Manufacturing and Supply. Committed to inclusivity, we value dedication and hard work, offering a welcoming work culture and rewarding opportunities, making Howdens a preferred place to build a career.
Skills we look for
What makes us a great employer
Rewards and benefits
From a competitive salary to wellbeing support, working with us comes with rewards and benefits. These include:
- Financial incentives
- Generous annual leave
- Retail discounts
- Health memberships
- Ways to support local causes
For more information, visit: Rewards And Benefits | Life At Howdens | Howdens Careers
Learning and Development
At the heart of our learning and development programmes are our training plans, which allow our people to excel in their roles, work safely and develop essential skills to progress their careers. We also encourage personal growth, build expertise and support our teams in taking charge of their journeys with confidence. Through our dedication to continuous development, we ensure everyone has the tools and opportunities to thrive. This allows us to build communities of skilled experts, leaders and innovators who embody our values of quality, ownership and excellence.
Diversity and Inclusion
Diversity and Inclusion is a fundamental part of our hiring and working practices, ensuring there are opportunities and fairness for everyone. Our ambition is to be worthwhile for all. We want our business to feel like home, a place where everyone can be themselves, do their best work and achieve their potential. Everyone is encouraged to succeed and is welcomed irrespective of background. To find out more, visit: https://careers.howdens.com/life-at-howdens/diversity-and-inclusion
Top 100 Apprenticeship Employer
We’re proud to be ranked in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list for the third time in 2024. This annual list, conducted by the Department of Education, celebrates employers for new, diverse, and successful apprenticeship programmes.
Excellent Career Progression
The opportunities for progression in Howdens are endless, with 1 in 10 of our current employees starting as apprentices! You will be supported by a fantastic team to help build your skills, confidence and resilience to progress as far as you can!
Apprenticeships Details
In-Depot Apprenticeships
We offer a range of apprenticeship roles in-depot, such as:
- Trade Counter Sales
- Business Developer
- Warehouse Person
- Kitchen Sales Designer.
Our qualifications in-depot are L2 Trade Supplier, L2 Customer Service Practitioner, L2 Supply Chain Warehouse Operative and L3 Fitted Furniture Design Technician.
Applying for our Apprenticeships
-
Start
-
1
Once you have seen an apprenticeship on Howdens Careers you are interested in, look for the ‘Apply Now’ button on the job advert page. In this stage of the application, you will fill out the application form and upload your CV and a short cover letter to tell us more about you.
-
2
If we think you sound like a good potential candidate for the role, we will contact you and arrange a face-to-face interview.
-
3
For certain higher-level apprenticeship roles, such as the Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship, we invite applicants to join us for an assessment day after the initial interviews have taken place. This doesn’t apply for depot or most office/support roles.
-
4
If you are successful, you will either receive a phone call or an email from the depot manager and they will then discuss the next steps with you.
-
End
Need some extra support?
We will do everything we can to support you during your application. If you need us to make any adjustments to our recruitment process, please email recruitment@howdens.com with the job title and location, and we will be happy to help you.
What our apprentices do!
“Looking back now, Howdens has given me the exposure and confidence to pursue my professional career within the building trade and without my apprenticeship kicking this off for me, I wouldn’t be where I am now. I am currently taking up my CAD training with the help of my manager, Indi, to broaden my skill set and potentially look into a management role within the company. If you are looking to gain a recognised qualification and earn at the same time then I would 100% recommend an apprenticeship with Howdens, it’s what brought me out of my shell! If I had the chance again, I would most definitely take it.”
“All I can remember about being an apprentice is how at home the depot and Howdens made me feel – I felt like everyone was available to help. Staff and customers were very friendly and always up for a joke. Being from a big family, I had always had “banter” with siblings, so coming into an environment where it was the same made it feel like home. Without this apprenticeship I wouldn’t have found my forever career – I love Howdens and love Kitchens. Personally, Howdens has helped me with my career success, which has helped me with my family life because I now have a beautiful daughter that I am now able to afford and give the best childhood/life I can.”
