‘A stand-out example of someone who began as a trainee and has grown his career with us over the last decade’

GULLIVER’S Theme Park Resorts is celebrating completing ten years of its in-house bespoke trainee management scheme, with the 11^th intake of candidates set to join the company later this year. 

Since the scheme began in 2015, 58 trainee managers have completed the year-long course designed to develop leaders to work at Gulliver’s UK sites in Milton Keynes, Warrington, Matlock Bath and Rotherham.

This year, more than 2,000 people have applied for the programme with applications now closed.

Aidan Hall, commercial manager at Gulliver’s Land in Milton Keynes, joined the scheme in 2015 and is now responsible for overseeing the daily operation of the park.

“I joined the trainee manager scheme ten years ago as it sounded really exciting and you do not often see opportunities like it available. It led me directly to where I am today, working at Gulliver’s and enjoying lots of variety in my day.

“It is fast paced but the scheme helps you gain so many new skills and you get to spend a lot of time learning from general managers, resort directors and even the managing director – which is not something you get in some other businesses – so you really do hit the ground running.”

Gulliver’s trainee management programme gives candidates a chance to experience different areas of the business on a series of placements while allowing Gulliver’s to home-grow its own managers according to the business’s unique and rapidly expanding needs.

The trainees will take on their own bespoke projects, receive mentoring from a senior member of Gulliver’s staff and work across all areas of the business, at all four UK locations, before stepping into new management roles at the end of the 12-month term.

After successfully completing the scheme, Aidan’s permanent leadership appointment was at Milton Keynes as retail and front of house manager.

“I then took on more responsibility and five years later got promoted to commercial manager. I now oversee the daily park operation, do all recruitment for the site and implement strategies to increase revenue.

“The best thing about working in a theme park is the variety in your day. You might start off helping with the admissions team in the morning, by lunchtime you are helping out the catering team and in the afternoon you are helping design a future event.

“Ten years after embarking on the training scheme I am still here.The team are incredible and will always push you to better yourself as well as giving you the freedom to try out new ideas without needing to jump through hoops like you would in a big corporate business.”

Dean Kimberley, director of loyalty and marketing at Gulliver’s Theme Park Resorts, said: “Our trainee management scheme is something we are incredibly proud of and Aidan is a stand-out example of someone who began as a trainee and has grown his career with us over the last decade.

“He is an inspiration to other people who are looking for an opportunity to start a career path within the hospitality and theme park industry and is one of dozens who still remain with us after embarking on the programme.”

• Gulliver’s Theme Park Resorts is a family-run business founded by Ray Phillips and his late wife Hilary, who opened the family’s first theme park, Gulliver’s Kingdom in Matlock Bath, in 1978.

The Gulliver’s business is now headed up by Ray and Hilary’s daughter, managing director Julie Dalton and her brother Nick Phillips, who is also a director.

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