Grant Prior | Wed 4th May | 7:10

The founder of a construction recruitment specialist is one of the contestants hoping to win this year’s Apprentice.

Ellie Reed is founder and managing director of Shipley based A&E Construction which supplies workers to hundreds of clients across the industry.

Reed co-founded the business with colleague Alison Ibbotson four years ago after working for rival recruitment agencies.

Reed said: “I joined a Bradford based recruitment agency as a resourcer after university where I worked my way up the company to become a consultant, selling both out on site and over the phone.

“I then joined a leading technical recruitment agency placing quantity surveyors and site managers within consultancies on a permanent basis.

“I soon become a senior consultant working toward a section managers position. However after two years I decided I preferred the cut and thrust of the temporary labour market and so moved back to my original agency.

“When asked to open a new office without a pay rise, I decided to set up A&E Construction”

The new series of the Apprentice starts on BBC1 next week.

Reed set up her company four years ago after working her way up with rival recruiters