Leading Lancashire retailer inspires next generation as 120 students explore careers beyond the classroom

One of Lancashire’s leading independent retailers has welcomed more than 120 local secondary school students behind the scenes to showcase the wide range of careers available within the home improvement and design sector.

ROCCIA, the Preston-based tile, bathroom and kitchen specialist, hosted two days of Future Careers events for Year 10 students from Eden Boys’ School, Preston, giving them an insight into professions they may never have considered as they begin thinking about their future education and career choices.

Across four interactive sessions, students toured ROCCIA’s award-winning showroom, met employees from across the business and discovered the many different career pathways available beyond the traditional perception of the industry.

Representatives from departments including Sales, Bathroom Design, Human Resources, Accounting, E-commerce and Marketing spoke alongside skilled tradespeople, including tilers and plumbers, highlighting the diverse range of opportunities available within the home improvement sector.

The initiative comes at a time when many sectors, including construction, design and skilled trades, continue to face significant skills shortages, with businesses increasingly looking to inspire young people before they make decisions about further education and employment.

Huzaifa Sidat, Marketing Lead at ROCCIA, said: “We wanted to show students that businesses like ROCCIA offer far more opportunities than many people realise. Whether your passion is design, marketing, digital, finance, customer service or a skilled trade, there are rewarding careers available right here in Lancashire.

“Young people often don’t get the chance to see what happens behind the scenes in a growing business. By opening our doors, we hope we’ve given students a better understanding of the different pathways available and inspired some of them to consider careers they may never have thought about before.

“As a Lancashire business, we’re passionate about investing in our local community. Supporting the next generation and helping develop future talent is something we see as an important responsibility, and we’re delighted to have welcomed so many enthusiastic students to our showroom.”

During the visit, students were encouraged to ask questions about different roles, career journeys, apprenticeships and the skills employers value, while hearing first-hand experiences from colleagues working across the business.

Talha Patel, Head of Year at Eden Boys’ School, Preston, said:
“Experiences like this are invaluable for our students. Seeing a successful local business in action and speaking directly with professionals from such a wide range of roles helps bring careers education to life in a way that simply can’t be replicated in the classroom.

“ROCCIA gave our students an excellent insight into the world of work, while demonstrating that there are many different routes to building a successful career. We are extremely grateful to everyone involved for giving our Year 10 students such an engaging and inspiring experience.”

The Future Careers Days form part of ROCCIA’s ongoing commitment to supporting the local community by investing in future talent, developing industry skills and strengthening links with schools across Lancashire.