National Apprenticeship Week 2020: Why more firms should invest in local future Wednesday, 5th February 2020

More firms across the country are being urged to consider the career-boosting benefits of recruiting local young apprentices in the construction industry as part of National Apprenticeship Week (February 3-9).

The sector is predicted to continue to grow this year and into 2021, according to the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), amid warnings that recruitment must keep pace to help plug the local skills gap and address ageing workforces.

We have invested in the future with a number of young recruits, including Fred Makins, a former student at Billericay’s Mayflower High School.

The CITB says over 1,000 new surveyors are needed each year. Fred, 20, from Billericay, is now studying part-time for a four-year building surveying degree apprenticeship course at Anglia Ruskin University.

Fred said: “I chose Ingleton Wood because of the amount of effort that they put into training their people starting out in the industry and since starting work here that has been proven to me time and again.

“I’m currently rotating around different departments and have been to projects within both the healthcare and education sector so the work I’m doing is really varied, which I enjoy.”

Stuart Fawell, assistant head teacher and head of Mayflower High School’s sixth form, said: “We are very proud of Fred's success. Apprenticeships offer students an excellent route into a career and we fully support all students looking to pursue this pathway.”

Meanwhile, our Colchester office has appointed Tom Godfrey, 28, as a graduate building surveyor. Tom graduated from the University College of Estate Management with a MSc in Building Surveying.

He said: “I’m very excited to be joining Ingleton Wood which has a strong reputation for holding very high standards. I’m very ambitious and look forward to achieving chartered building surveying status.”

Partner David Cresswell said: “National Apprenticeship Week provides the perfect opportunity to highlight the importance of apprenticeships and other vocational pathways to rewarding employment in the construction industry.

“They really do provide life-changing opportunities for local young people, who represent the future of any industry. It is therefore vital that the local construction sector must continue to offer on-the-job training supported by academic courses, allowing apprentices to gain new skills and become crucial members to our teams and the industry at a very early stage.”

National Apprenticeship Week 2020 is co-ordinated by the National Apprenticeship Service as a celebration of apprenticeships and the positive impact they have on individuals, businesses and the wider economy.