18 year old Joe Warren (front right of the photo) is embarking on a career as a specialist recruiter thanks to an initiative run by The EpiCentre to help young people into employment.
Joe was attending WS Training, a post-16 education centre in Haverhill, that focuses on vocational studies, work experience and personal development to support transition into employment or further education.
WS Training made contact with centre manager Helen Earl and asked whether any of the 54 companies based at The EpiCentre might consider taking on work experience candidates from local colleges
As luck would have it Certus Recruitment, a specialist GTM (go to market) recruiter, working with technology companies, predominantly SaaS and AI sectors, was looking for someone to help with their administrative tasks. Joe wasn’t certain of his career direction, but when this work experience opportunity came up at Certus he jumped at the chance. Joe proved so adept at the job in the first six months, that he has since been employed on a permanent basis.
Certus founder Justin Byrne says: “Joe was introduced to us by Helen as a work experience/internship individual working one day a week. During that time, he proved to be particularly interested and competent and at the end of his course, we offered him the opportunity of joining us full time.”
At a time when it is becoming ever more difficult for young people to find jobs, this initiative is very encouraging.
Helen Earl says: “Our raison d’etre at The EpiCentre is to create a great working environment for the companies that decide to come here. Naturally, if we can help them to attract the right calibre of staff and at the same time help young people around Haverhill to gain a foothold on the career ladder then that is a win-win all round.”
“By working with mentors like Justin, who brings both recruitment expertise and a genuine commitment to nurturing talent, we’re able to give young people a real insight into the jobs market. It’s no secret that breaking into today’s workforce can be challenging, but with the right guidance and mindset, there are always opportunities to be created. Justin’s perspective—as both a recruiter and mentor—is invaluable in helping young people understand how to position themselves, build resilience, and take proactive steps toward meaningful careers.”
Joe is delighted with the break that work experience at Certus gave him. “I didn’t really know what recruitment agents do, but it was what I heard and learnt from the consultants that got me really interested, made me want to do the internship and hopefully work at Certus full-time.
“Initially it was mainly administration and lead generation work: scouring websites to see where there might be job opportunities and learning about potential roles for our clients. Now, as a full-time employee, I am involved in the actual recruitment for those kinds of jobs,” he adds.
Jacqui Singleton, centre manager at WS Training: “As part of our offer we encourage our learners into workplace environments to gain much needed skills and experiences to take with them into future employment opportunities. Whilst all three parties, WS Training, The EpiCentre and Certus Recruitment all supported the opportunity, it was Joe’s commitment to the cause that brought about the success.”
For Certus, taking Joe on was a mix of self-interest as well as altruism. “We moved from London to The EpiCentre a couple of years ago,” says Byrne. “One of the biggest challenges we faced in this location was hiring staff and therefore we needed to consider all the options in terms of growing our business. This included developing and training our own people as well as looking for experienced staff, so taking Joe on for work experience aligned well with our business need.
“There were jobs we could give to Joe to do like data entry, that first-job type of role, which added some genuine value to our business. I have trained and developed a large number of young people over the years giving them a first shot at their career which I have always found personally satisfying.”
A lot of businesses use interns to do those tasks that others don’t want to do or they give them jobs just to fill the time but with Byrne it is different. “I don’t personally see the value in doing that. It’s about giving them real experience of what we do by giving them relevant tasks.”
On the back of the experience that Certus has had with Joe they have recently taken on another work experience student. Ben Hooton (front left of the main photo) who has come from West Suffolk College in Bury St Edmunds where he is doing Business & Administration T-Level, is working one day a week at The EpiCentre. Ben says he wants to gain experience of being in a business environment.
Byrne has been particularly impressed with Joe and Ben. “Both of them have shown an underlying desire and willingness to get involved in the business. There is a great difference between a young person who is doing something because they have to, versus those who are doing something because they have an underlying drive. Both Joe and Ben have demonstrated those traits that suggest that they want something more and have got great potential. When you have that ethos it is very easy to be motivated to help and teach them.”
Byrne is vehement that neither of these recruits would have had the opportunity with them if The EpiCentre hadn’t introduced them. The centre management proactively came to Certus, set up the interviews and made it happen.
“Helen is fantastic at recognising those opportunities and making introductions and that goes far beyond my experience of the years we spent in other serviced offices,” Byrne explains. “I’ve never before been in that position where the office team are thinking about contributing to our business and, in my view, that’s something that’s unique to The EpiCentre.
“I think for Joe, Ben and all our staff, the atmosphere at The EpiCentre is conducive to operating effectively. It is a nice and comfortable place to be, the services provided by The EpiCentre team is always exceptional. Nothing is ever too much.
For Joe and Ben, the opportunity they’ve been offered by Certus at The EpiCentre is a strong start to their careers – and a reminder that employers can both nurture and benefit from the next generation of talent.
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