Construction training grant supports local apprentices
A financial training grant, funded by Malvern-based contractor Speller Metcalfe and sponsored by Travis Perkins, is helping to support five new apprentices from the Heart of Worcestershire College.
Speller Metcalfe set up the Worcestershire Construction Apprentice Academy (WCAA) as a non-profit charity in 2013, and since then, along with Travis Perkins, the WCAA has supported over 30 apprentices and their employers from across Worcestershire.
The scheme provides £500 in funding to the employer to help contribute to apprentice wages and students also receive a £250 voucher from Travis Perkins to spend in their local store, helping them to build their own set of tools for their apprenticeship.
“We wanted to find a way to help support young people wanting to join the construction industry, as we would hear stories of how finances were becoming a barrier to both employers and apprentices – whether that was affording petrol to get to work, their own set of tools or paying salaries,” says Mark Hudgeon, Regional Director at Speller Metcalfe.
“As a result we founded the Worcestershire Construction Apprentice Academy, and now working in partnership with the Heart of Worcestershire College, it is helping to provide financial incentive for employers to train our next generation of workforce and is a helping hand for apprentices who need their own tools on site.”
To qualify, employers must be Worcestershire based, a micro-business (employing less than 10 people) and taking on apprentices within bricklaying or carpentry.
Mike Ebbs, Key Account Manager for Travis Perkins, commented on the importance of training the next generation: “Travis Perkins is again pleased to support this great programme. It is wonderful that Speller Metcalfe do so much in the in the local community to ensure the industry has the skills to grow in the future.”
Ryan Probert, Construction Lead (Malvern) at Heart of Worcestershire College, said: “This is a great incentive from Speller Metcalfe and will assist youngsters going into the industry as apprentices to excel in their chosen career. By giving the students the opportunity to build their own kit it will give them a sense of ownership over their own tools to look after and maintain as a professional tradesperson.”
More information about the WCAA can be found online, where College apprentices and their employers will be able to apply through Heart of Worcestershire College from September 2019: http://www.constructionapprenticeacademy.com/
Pictured L-R: Mike Ebbs – Travis Perkins, Eric Seward – Seward Joinery, Ben Prior – Apprentice with Seward Joinery, Ryan Probert – HOW Course Leader, Oliver Hammond – Apprentice with Malvern Hills Joinery, Ricky Buckland – Malvern Hills Joinery, Mark Hudgeon – Speller Metcalfe, Stephen James – Malvern Hills Joinery.