Education and Jobs
Our trainees, employees, mentors, and volunteers can gain formal qualifications when working with us. No-one is left out. Qualifications in retail and waste management are accredited by national awarding body Northern Open College Network (NOCN) and are free to those whose social or economic circumstances mean they are excluded from work, such as through mental or physical illness or disability.
We also ensure informal, invaluable on-the-job learning in all aspects of our work including collections, logistics, retail, shop design and display, furniture construction, customer service, sales, and delivery.
Our ethos of environmental protection and sustainability underpins everything we do, and we take every opportunity to promote this - educating those who work with us and the public when they book a collection or buy from the Wood Store. We always try to work with like-minded suppliers and contractors.
“I’ve been volunteering with The Wood Store for six months after losing my job. I wanted to volunteer to explore my interest in carpentry and keep busy while looking for a new job.
The team has been incredibly patient and supportive, taking time to teach and develop my skills. It has made me feel valued and proud to contribute towards the interesting projects and builds. The experience has given me confidence to pursue a new career path and I hope my time spent there will help improve my chance of employability.
On a more personal level, being able to volunteer for the project and team has given me a sense of stability and self-confidence in an uncertain time in my life, helping to improve my mental health.
I’d be dismayed if The Wood Store were not to continue with volunteers as I’ve met many others who come to learn and contribute. Many good friendships are made too.”
We are part of the National Community Wood Recycling network. To visit their site or find a more local group, please click here