Hull Gives Me a Better Standard of Living than the South

Bertie is a skilled carpenter

Bertie Griffiths, a skilled Carpenter at KWL, made a significant move from Romford in Essex to Hull without having visited the area before.

When Bertie and his wife contemplated starting a family, they opted to be closer to their relatives, who had already relocated to be near his sister-in-law. With a firm decision to have children, the couple left their home to settle closer to the countryside.

New life in Yorkshire

We are pleased to share that Bertie has not looked back since and is thoroughly enjoying his new life here in Yorkshire.

“For the initial two months, we stayed at Sand le Mere, making it feel like a holiday. Although, I commuted for the first ten months as I hadn’t actively searched for work in the region. When my little boy was born, we entered lockdown, and my work down south ceased so I explored job opportunities up here and discovered KWL. An informal chat with one of the Supervisors, followed by an interview, led to a job offer.

“I think Hull is lovely! We live in East Hull, and my wife appreciates staying at home; we now have two children. Living in Essex, this wouldn’t have been feasible due to the higher cost of living compared to Hull. We made a good move, and all of my family is content.”

KWL genuinely cares

At the age of 33, Bertie had been self-employed since leaving college at 18. “Dealing with all aspects of self-employment, from finding jobs and pricing them up to facing rejections due to someone else being cheaper, is challenging. Additionally, not all the work I received was local, leading to spending extended periods away from home. Here at KWL, I don’t need to worry about any of that. There is plenty of work, materials are readily available, and our equipment meets high standards. I just need to put in the work. The salary is excellent, and the pension contribution is remarkable – something I could never achieve working for myself or even another private construction firm. KWL genuinely cares about its employees, which is quite rare in this industry.”

Qualifications

Bertie completed his Level 2 Carpentry at College, and with KWL, he has achieved Level 3 quickly due to his extensive experience.

Initially, working on kitchens and property adaptations for customers, Bertie is currently involved in fire door replacements at the high-rise flats in Hull, as shown in the photo. As the Charge Hand, he supports the team and reports any issues to the Supervisors.

“I am currently enjoying what I am doing, but I see future opportunities that give me confidence. I am pursuing managerial qualifications and hope to join the KWL Development Programme in the next year or so. The doors are open for individuals at KWL; I know this is not just for me, as I see it happening across the business.”

Colleagues become friends

In his leisure time, Bertie enjoys spending time with his family and has formed strong friendships with his colleagues, who have become not just coworkers but friends.

“Hull is incredibly friendly. I have settled in and feel genuinely happy here. I’ve built my own community. My father-in-law and I both share a passion for fixing up old cars. I spend my weekends under the bonnet, taking things out and putting them back together again.”