From Placement To Career: Luke's Journey With Brewers

June 22nd, 2026

When Luke first heard about an opportunity at Brewers through the Spear Brighton programme, he had no idea where it would lead.

Brewers has worked closely with employment and life skills charity, Spear for many years, funding their careers support sessions and accepting work placements in Brewers stores.

It’s a cause close to the heart of our CEO, Simon Brewer. Simon’s wife, Sam, previously served as Chair of Trustees, contributing to the governance and strategic direction of the organisation.

What began as a placement providing cover at the Brighton store quickly developed into a part-time role. Five years later, Luke is thriving at Brewers and now considering full-time opportunities within the business.

Building Confidence In Store

Starting a new role can be daunting, but Luke says the support he received from his colleagues helped him settle in quickly.

‘The team were very welcoming when I started,’ he explained. ‘They made me feel comfortable and even though the job’s been a learning curve, I knew someone would be able to help me if I asked.’ Brewers are pleased to be able to work with charities like Spear to support their career programme to help young people back into work.

His former manager, Mark, witnessed Luke's development first-hand.

‘When Luke first came to Brewers, he was nervous and struggled with his confidence but he’s really grown into the role. Luke’s very passionate about what he does. He doesn't need to be asked to do something, he just does it.’

Learning Through Experience

One of the things Luke enjoys most about working at Brewers is the opportunity to continually learn and develop.

Early in his career, he attended a variety of training courses, including a wallpapering course that he took purely out of interest.

"It was a very good course," he says.

Since then, Luke has continued to build his knowledge through Brewers' extensive online learning platform, The Hub.

"One of the nice things about learning at Brewers is that all the courses are available on The Hub," Luke explains. "It's not just about what you learn in the branch. There are courses on paint, woodcare, wallpapering and lots of other topics.

"Being able to dedicate time to those courses helps answer questions you don't even know you have yet. That's been a massive help for me."

Luke also values the hands-on training opportunities provided by supplier representatives who regularly visit stores.

"We get reps coming in who are very friendly and happy to answer any questions. Sometimes they'll run training sessions on existing or new products. Being able to use products hands-on or speak directly to the people behind them is massively helpful."

Developing Skills And Product Knowledge

Over the years, Luke has developed a wide range of skills, from customer service and communication to product expertise.

"It's about knowing the products and being able to understand the customer's problem to offer the best solution," he says.

"There's a lot of different products to learn and even five years on, I'm still learning about existing products and new ones. We get lots of retail customers who only have a rough idea of what they're looking for, so it helps to know the products and keep up with current trends."

Alongside his product knowledge, Luke has become confident in building relationships with regular customers and understanding their individual needs.

The Importance Of Mentorship

Luke credits much of his development to the people around him.

"Mark has very much been a mentor for me in this role," he says. "He did a lot of my training, but I've definitely been mentored by a lot of different people in the shop as well.

"My colleagues in the showroom have helped me learn about wallpapering processes and shared their knowledge whenever I've needed help."

The Best Part Of The Job

When asked about his favourite thing about working for Brewers, Luke's answer is simple: the people.

"Over the years I've come to know quite a few of the regulars who come into the store. It's nice to get to know them and to see them coming in regularly.

"Sometimes I'll spot a customer I haven't seen in a while and it's nice to build that relationship again whilst helping them get the products they need."

Creating Opportunities Through Spear

Luke's journey began through Spear Brighton, an employment and life-skills charity that supports young people aged 16–24 across Brighton & Hove who are not in employment, education or training and may face barriers to entering the workforce.

Find out more about how the Brewers Foundation supports charities like Spear or explore how you could start your career with us.