Celebrating Our Apprentices: Building Careers at Perry
At A. Perry Ltd., we believe in investing in talent, providing opportunities for growth, and supporting the next generation of skilled professionals. As part of National Apprenticeship Week, we’re shining a spotlight on five dedicated team members who began their journey with us as apprentices and have since become valuable members of the Perry family—whether they’re still on their apprenticeship path or have progressed into full-time roles.
Each of them has developed their skills, taken on new challenges, and contributed to the success of our business in their own unique way. Their stories are a testament to the importance of apprenticeships, offering hands-on experience, career progression, and the chance to make a real impact.
Charles Parnham
A previous Perry Employee of The Year (2022), Charles’s journey with us began 10 years ago when he joined our organisation as an apprentice in the Marketing Team straight out of college. His initial role focused on supporting our digital marketing efforts and maintaining product data and the optimisation of our web platform. Even in the early stages, Charles exhibited remarkable initiative and quickly excelled in his tasks.
Over the years, Charles has not only met but exceeded all expectations. Today, Charles plays a pivotal role in our organisation, leading digital marketing initiatives, overseeing website development projects, and serving as an invaluable resource for data analysis and reporting.
We were also honoured to have Charles become a finalist for The Black Country Chamber of Commerce Awards in 2023, as Young Employee of the Year!
Andy McDermott
Also celebrating 10 years with us this year, Andy McDermott’s journey at Perry began as an apprentice in our Marketing and Design team, Andy quickly demonstrated his creativity, attention to detail, and passion for branding. His talent and dedication led to him becoming Perry’s first full-time Graphic Designer, where he has played a pivotal role in shaping the visual identity of our company and its brands. From product packaging and promotional materials to our catalogues and overall brand presentation, Andy’s work has taken Perry’s design and marketing to the next level.
Andy’s achievements were quickly realised when he was nominated as Apprentice of the Year at the Black Country Chamber of Commerce Awards in 2018. a reflection of his hard work and impact within the business.
We are proud to have Andy as a key part of our team and look forward to seeing his creative influence continue for years to come.
Jordan Green
Jordan joined us in 2018 as an Apprentice in our Administrative team, with a focus on Customer Care. Right from the beginning Jordan showed a fantastic willingness to help serve our customers, and ever since he has been a key part of both our administrative and sales teams. Since he started Jordan has excelled in customer care, worked as a key part of supporting sales, and has represented Perry and our brands at various trade shows.
Now working as an Internal Sales Representative, Jordan’s journey proves how hands-on experience builds expertise. His customer-first approach and positive attitude has granted him much love from our customers. In fact, in our latest customer satisfaction survey, Jordan received the highest number of positive comments across the department.
Jordan embodies Perry’s ethos of "providing true and lasting value to our customers." We’re proud to have him on the team.
Joel Clee
Joel has been with the company now for 6 months, having joined us on a business administrator apprenticeship straight from School. Joel is settling in very well within our customer service department now. He has made a very positive start to his life with A Perry, building strong relationships with colleagues internally, and now with our customers. We are excited to see Joels journey evolve over the coming months, his overriding determination to learn new skills, and complete tasks and go the extra mile for colleagues and customers gives us great confidence for Joel moving forward.
Dylan Hipkiss
Having joined us in October 2024, Dylan is the newest member of the Perry family. After leaving school, Dylan followed in his dad’s footsteps and gained experience in the construction industry. He successfully completed that work placement and felt a ‘hands on’ role was where he wanted to continue. When our warehouse apprenticeship opportunity arose, he knew this was the place he wanted to be. In just a few months, Dylan has shown his hard work, eagerness to learn and is already a key member of the operations team.