Travis Perkins: Building Talent Pipelines with Marketing, Communications and Bid Apprenticeships

Travis Perkins’ LEAP Apprenticeships programme is a vital part of the company’s strategy to attract diverse talent and support employees’ career development in a fast-changing industry. LEAP has partnered with The JGA Group to deliver specialist marketing, communications and bid apprenticeships.

Tailored Training That Fits The Business

Through the LEAP initiative, Travis Perkins has demonstrated it’s commitment to using apprenticeships as a vehicle to develop its workforce and grow the levels of skills and diversity of their staff and management.

It is clearly recognised though that for some specialist roles it is sensible to work with external apprenticeship providers which have developed niche training and expertise. JGA’s expert delivery in PR, marketing and bid team training has supported Travis Perkins’ staff development. Ryan Beaver, External Providers Partnerships and Functional Skills Team Manager comments

“JGA offers what we need; their delivery is always professional, and they ensure learners complete their programmes successfully.”

A key strength is JGA’s teaching model, pairing apprentices with professionals to bring real industry experience. Ryan adds “It’s essential…tutors’ industry expertise makes all the difference.”

Real Impact, Real Careers

The partnership between Travis Perkins and The JGA Group has delivered tangible benefits:

  • Improved Brand Presence Through Training – Marketing and communications apprenticeships have equipped staff with the skills to tackle the challenge of limited brand recognition. Apprentices are contributing to campaigns that strengthen the company’s visibility in the marketplace.

    Hannah (PR & Comms) reflects: “One of my favourite projects was creating a celebratory video for colleagues who had recently completed their own apprenticeships. I was responsible for the entire process, from the initial design and planning to the final execution. This project allowed me to put my newly acquired skills to the test as I navigated different stakeholders, utilised various communication channels, and ensured a clear and consistent message reached the intended audience. The video was a resounding success!“

  • Enhanced Career Pathways – Staff such as Hannah and Emily have progressed their own careers and showcased the value of apprenticeships. Hannah comments “The apprenticeship has significantly improved my ability to create effective and engaging communications. Before the programme, I was doing my best, but I felt like I was missing some key professional skills. I knew I needed to gain a formal qualification to enhance my abilities and advance my career. Thanks to the valuable knowledge I acquired through the apprenticeship, I was recently promoted to Corporate Communications Executive!“

  • Addressing Skills Gaps – By focusing on niche apprenticeships in areas like marketing and public relations, JGA enables Travis Perkins to meet organisational needs that cannot be addressed internally. “JGA’s provision ensures we don’t miss out on developing talent in areas we can’t support in-house,” Ryan noted.

Empowering The Next Generation

Travis Perkins apprentices are not just developing skills – they’re growing in confidence, building professional networks, and stepping into leadership.

Emily learned “how to best present ourselves professionally, depending on who within the business we are engaging with. Although some things are relatively obvious to experienced colleagues, I can see the immense benefit for someone starting their career straight out of education.”

Hannah has gained confidence “Now, I’m not afraid to take on challenging projects and I confidently share my ideas to achieve our goals. My line manager was also an amazing support, empowering me to develop my career. I’m incredibly grateful for her guidance, as it made a huge difference.”

By combining expert teaching with on-the-job experience, apprentices are growing into professionals who add immediate value—and have the confidence to drive change across the business.

Looking Ahead

With apprenticeships now embedded into their talent strategy, Travis Perkins continues to use these programmes to boost retention, increase internal capability, and support long-term succession planning.

Emily explains:

“The apprenticeship has informed us how to best present ourselves professionally, depending with whom we are engaging. Although some things are relatively obvious to experienced colleagues, I can see the immense benefit for someone starting their career straight out of education.”


Ryan summarised the value of the Travis Perkins/JGA partnership:

“Apprenticeships are pivotal to what we do. They support succession planning and help us retain and develop talent. JGA has been an excellent partner in delivering specialist programmes that align with our needs.”