Matthew Griffiths started as trainee recruitment consultant at Vision for Education in our Teesside secondary branch. He quickly proved himself to be an asset to the business, securing promotion to assistant branch manager just two and a half years into his recruitment career. Due to his hard work and dedication, more promotions followed, and Matthew was made branch manager 18 months later.  

Matthew has always had a passion for the education sector. After working as a sports coach and cover supervisor in schools across Teesside, he decided to combine the skills he’d learnt in the classroom with his experience working in a variety of customer-focused roles and joined Vision for Education as a trainee recruitment consultant.   

Matthew tells us about what it was that drew him to Vision for Education: “What impressed me the most was the clear vision (pardon the pun!) that the leadership team had for the business. Their commitment to the development of staff, along with their passion for the education sector as a whole, was infectious. I knew I wanted to be part of that growth and help make a positive difference to the teachers, support staff and schools I worked with.” 

With no previous experience in recruitment, Matthew benefitted from our in-house training programme and lots of support from his line manager and colleagues across the business. “I never found my lack of recruitment experience was a barrier to development – it was made clear from my first interview that, as long as I had the right attitude and values, I would be given all the tools I needed to progress.” 

It’s not just career development that drives Matthew. As a branch manager, he enjoys leading a strong team and supporting them in the same way he has been supported. “It’s great seeing the team achieve – the industry is competitive, so it’s important that we all look after each other. The fact that we're given access to mental health support (through our mental health champions and sister company, Still Human), have regular get-togethers to share ideas and are given the autonomy to get involved in projects that we’re passionate about (such as supporting school food banks) makes Vision for Education a really special place to work.