FEATURE HIRING APPRENTICES
BUILDING BLOCKS
Taking on apprentices is one way to fill the skills gap, but employers must be prepared to support these new recruits to help them rise to the challenge of working in construction
W hatever your motivation to hire an apprentice, there seems to be an inevitable sense of accomplishment in helping young minds mature into experienced tradespeople. “It’s incredibly rewarding to see their skills develop over time and to know we’re helping build the next generation of skilled tradespeople,” says James Preece, Managing Director at James Preece &
the future,” he says, “ensuring that the standards of craftsmanship are upheld while providing young people with valuable opportunities. “Additionally, as a company, we strongly believe in promoting skills that benefit not just us but the individual too. I’ve seen other companies hold people back from proper training or fail to teach apprentices effectively for short-term gains, and we’re determined to do things differently.” The desire to support young people into qualified roles is what drove Mike Bailey, Director at Phoenix Design and Construction (South East) Ltd in Bexhill, to transition two of his general labourers into qualified tradespeople. “I was looking to grow my business, and they were interested in learning more,” Bailey says. “I wasn’t sure how to take them from being labourers to skilled tradespeople, so an apprenticeship looked like a good
Sons (Carpentry) Ltd in Worcester. Over the years, Preece has hired six apprentices in what have been
“overwhelmingly positive” experiences. “Apprentices bring fresh perspectives, a willingness to learn, and a great deal of enthusiasm to the team,” he says. “However, it does require the individual to be hungry to learn, not shy away from hard work, and be willing to work as part of a team.” Preece believes hiring apprentices enables businesses to give back to the industry and address the skills gap. “Training apprentices is an investment in
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