CITB NI
CITB NI’S SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN GETS BEHIND NI APPRENTICESHIP WEEK...
Backing apprenticeships
D epartment for the Economy’s Apprenticeship Week event (which ran during the last week of April) was aimed at raising the profile of apprenticeships across Northern Ireland. CITB NI seized on this opportunity to help students and teachers with information on a career in the construction industry and how to get involved in apprenticeships. CITB NI’s week-long social media campaign promoted construction apprenticeships and celebrated current apprentices. The campaign included a variety of apprentice video testimonials, graphics and photographs shown across CITB social media and website. Construction apprenticeships are an important part of the career ladder and are beneficial to both the apprentice and the employer. Learning on the job is crucial to skills development whilst gaining the formal qualifications at the same time. Skills shortages, an ageing workforce and poor perception of the industry are putting the construction industry at risk. Consequently, the industry needs to do more to successfully promote itself to young people, careers influencers and meet the future demands.
ApprenticeshipCase Study
RyanDonnelly, first year Digital Construction ApprenticewithHeronBros.
Ryan Donnelly is a first year Digital Construction Apprentice with CITB NI registered employer Heron Bros- an award-winning construction and property development company, which operates throughout the UK, Ireland and Europe. Ryan always had a keen interest in construction after studying it to GCSE level and progressing to BTEC. He achieved excellent grades and felt a career in construction was the path for him. Every day is different in Ryan’s role but a typical day involves supporting the Design Managers in the delivery of digital information for all projects. This includes using gaming technology, virtual reality and augmented reality technologies through a process called Building Information Modelling (BIM). Speaking about his role, Ryan said, “The best part of my job for me is that no two days are the same. I am faced daily with different challenges that are always
enjoyable. I feel like every day I am learning new things and gaining experience, and that is why I chose the apprenticeship route, as I wanted to learn and work at the same time. “There is no real bad aspect of my job except with the current situation with Covid-19 I have had to work from home a lot. This means I have had to try and solve problems on my own first before reaching out to my mentor. However, this independent working has helped me mature very quickly and become a valued dependable team member.” Ryan’s advice for someone interested in becoming a Digital Construction Apprentice is that you need to enjoy using creative computer systems, be able to apply attention to detail, concentration and organisation. You also need to be someone who is a team player and likes helping people with digital queries and to use the software to their advantage.
“…every day I am learning new things andgaining experience, and that iswhy I chose the apprenticeship route, as I wanted to learn andwork at the same time.”
For further information, visit www.citb.org.uk or follow CITB NI on Facebook, twitter, Instagram and LinkedIN
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