Warehouse and Trade Counter Assistant apprenticeship

TYNE TEES CERAMICS LTD

TEAM VALLEY TRADING ESTATE (NE11 0NJ)

Closes in 15 days (Friday 5 September 2025)

Posted on 21 August 2025

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Summary

If you're hands-on and don't mind a physical role, Tyne Tees Ceramics want to hear from you! As a Level 2 Trade Supplier apprentice, you'll gain experience from working in the warehouse, and handling sales, picking and checking orders- all while ensuring excellent customer service.

Wage

£12,563.20 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

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Training course
Trade supplier (level 2)
Hours
Monday – Thursday 8am – 4 pm. Friday 8am – 12 noon.

32 hours a week

Start date

Monday 15 September 2025

Duration

1 year

Positions available

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

  • Order Fulfilment: Accurately pick and check customer orders, ensuring all items are correct and ready for dispatch. Please note this is a physically demanding role involving manual handling and heavy lifting.
  • Customer Service: Assist customers at the trade counter and in the showroom, providing friendly and knowledgeable support.
  • Warehouse Maintenance: Maintain a clean, safe, and organised warehouse environment through regular housekeeping duties.
  • Teamwork & Independence: Work effectively both independently and as part of a small, collaborative team.
  • Sales Processing: Prepare cash sales and manage trade account transactions (full training provided).
  • Communication: Answer incoming calls professionally and direct queries appropriately.

Where you'll work

UNIT F20
THE AVENUES
ELEVENTH AVENUE NORTH
TEAM VALLEY TRADING ESTATE
NE11 0NJ

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

GATESHEAD COUNCIL

Training course

Trade supplier (level 2)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Knowledge and understanding of the organisation’s: communicating confidently to internal and external customers about the company and how it operates
  • Knowledge and understanding of the organisation’s: identifying and communicating with the relevant person if a threat or risk to the business is identified
  • specialist trade customer profile of the business: using appropriate techniques and forms of communication to put customers at ease and gain their trust.
  • specialist trade customer profile of the business: delivering customer service that exceeds customer expectations
  • specialist trade customer profile of the business: identifying customer requirements and referring them onwards in an appropriate manner
  • trade counter and telesales services: assisting customers in exploring product ranges and alternative and complementary products and services, based on the fundamental underpinning product knowledge
  • trade counter and telesales services: identifying the customers’ requirements, matching them to the trade supplier’s products and services
  • trade counter and telesales services: delivering accurate product information, to enable the customer to make a decision on products and services and know how to access the detailed technical specification of a product when required.
  • trade counter and telesales services: securing a trade sale using appropriate selling techniques, both face to face and on the telephone, and methods to complete the transaction.
  • trade counter and telesales services: applying basic merchandising techniques used within the business.
  • trade counter and telesales services: applying the key principles of selling in a trade supplier environment, using a variety of methods, which may include unique selling points, upselling, and link selling to secure and complete sales transactions.
  • trade counter and telesales services: communicating with customers using various methods and systems appropriate to the situation
  • trade counter and telesales services: applying the key principles of administration and working practices to accurately prepare, store, communicate and process businesses documentation.
  • trade counter and telesales services: processing information, to the key standards of data protection, security and intellectual property rights.
  • key principles of warehousing and stock control: processing and recording the receipt, storage, assembly and despatch of goods.
  • key principles of warehousing and stock control: receiving stock, despatching customer orders and processing returns in line with company processes.
  • key principles of warehousing and stock control: loading /unloading of supplier and contractor vehicles
  • technologies that are appropriate to the role: using technology appropriately and efficiently in line with business policy, e.g. PoS (point of sale) machines, PCs
  • technologies that are appropriate to the role: demonstrating the use of various technologies, e.g. bespoke/in house or off the shelf software packages to others.
  • legislative responsibilities relating to the business, products and/or services being sold: complying with legal requirements to minimise risk and build customer confidence.
  • legislative responsibilities relating to the business, products and/or services being sold: minimising disruption to the business and maintaining the safety and security of people at all time
  • legislative responsibilities relating to the business, products and/or services being sold: taking appropriate action if a breach of H&S regulations is identified.
  • personal responsibilities and performance contribute to the success of the team and the business: building two-way trust and contribute to working within a team
  • personal responsibilities and performance contribute to the success of the team and the business: collaborating with colleagues to resolve problems.
  • personal responsibilities and performance contribute to the success of the team and the business: managing personal performance by completing tasks to agreed standards and timescales and by taking action to resolve problems and communicating issues beyond own level of competence.
  • personal responsibilities and performance contribute to the success of the team and the business: demonstrating effective time management through planning and prioritising own workload.
  • personal responsibilities and performance contribute to the success of the team and the business: identifying own strengths, weaknesses and development needs.

Training schedule

This training schedule has not been finalised. Check with this employer if you’ll need to travel to a college or training location for this apprenticeship.

Requirements

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • Customer care skills
  • Team working
  • Physical fitness

About this employer

Established by Tony Craven and Jim Hope and still run by the Craven family today, Tyne Tees Ceramics has family values at its heart and began in Stirling Court in the Team Valley Trading Estate in 1983, where it was opened by the Mayor of Gateshead and Sir John Hall. The business can still be found in the Team Valley today, but we now operate from a 13,000sqft warehouse with showrooms at 14 Perth Court, Team Valley and Wear Street, Sunderland, and our trade has grown dramatically over the years to now cover Scotland, Cumbria and Yorkshire, as well as the North East. Tyne Tees Ceramics have always focused on supplying quality products with attractive pricing to bathroom centres, tile shops, regional developments, trade and public. We hand pick and import ceramic, porcelain and mosaic tiles from Spain, Italy, Portugal and Poland to ensure our ranges are kept on trend and so we can provide the best products for any situation. We have secured our place as one of the North East’s leading independent distributors by supplying luxurious developments such as Lumley Castle, Beamish Hall, Coombe Abbey Hotel, Redewater Lakeside Lodges and the Lake District Hotel Group, along with many high-end local developments and authorities. At our showrooms on the Team Valley and Sunderland, you’ll find styles to suit all tastes and budget, with plenty of room settings to help inspire your choices. With a large selection of porcelain, ceramics and mosaics available for bathrooms, kitchens, and floors, be inspired by our unrivalled product portfolio. The staff have been with Tyne Tees Ceramics for over 20 years so have extensive experience in picking out the best designs that will suit your home interior and will advise you in a professional and friendly manner

After this apprenticeship

Opportunity to join the team permanently in the Role.   
Also, lots of opportunity to gain experience in different aspects of the company including HGV Training, Forklift Training, working with foreign suppliers, working in an administrative role including accounting software. 

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

GATESHEAD COUNCIL

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000338339.

Apply now

Closes in 15 days (Friday 5 September 2025)

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