http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Construction-tutor-hails-importance/story-15932313-detail/story.html

Construction tutor hails importance of apprenticeships

A CONSTRUCTION tutor has spoken of the importance of apprentices for today’s youngsters in the working world.

Mike Wynn, who works at Vision West Notts, the old West Notts College in Mansfield, said apprenticeships have a “key role” to play as they help young people develop their trade.

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   Trade skills: Brickwork student Natalie Gibson competes against students from across the East Midlands in the UK’s biggest construction skills competition, SkillBuild, at Vision West Notts, the old West Notts College.

Mr Wynn was speaking during the regional heats of SkillBuild – a national competition which tests students on their building-trade skills, including bricklaying, joinery and painting.

He said: “There’s a lot of value in apprenticeships – they offer a firm grounding in a trade which supports what they learn on vocational courses.

“These people taking part in the competition are highly skilled and are fabulous with their hands and it’s important we encourage this.”

Vision West Notts has bases across Mansfield and Ashfield, including its Construction and Logistics Skills Academy in Kirkby-in-Ashfield.

Leigh Tugby, 19, from Sutton-in-Ashfield, is currently completing a bricklaying course and is considering an apprenticeship once he has finished. “It would be great to train and get paid to do so,” he said. “An apprenticeship is something I’m seriously looking at for the future. With bricklaying, I’ve found something I’m good at. I wasn’t too good with English and maths, but I have found something I can do and I want to keep it going for the future.”

The Post’s Get Notts Working campaign was launched in March at Gedling Borough Council’s offices, when several companies signed a pledge to take on an apprentice.

As part of the campaign, the Post and its partners are looking to find 100 apprentices within 100 days – and this target was reached after only 27 days. A new target has been set at 200 apprenticeships before the end of the campaign.

As well as the Post, the new campaign is being coordinated by the Derbyshire and Notts Chamber of Commerce, the National Apprenticeship Service and the Nottinghamshire City and County Employment and Skills Board.

Paul Champion
Strategic Project Manager

Mobile: 07540 704920