Taken from: http://sheffcol.ac.uk/news/sheffield-college-apprentices-build-new-future-with-teamphoenix
Phoenix Brickwork (UK) Limited is a national masonry contractor, which operates for blue chip construction companies. This year, the Company has decided to partner with the College to recruit four bricklaying apprentices to join their training programme.
Harry Bagshaw, 17, Thomas Straw, 18, and Liam Jones, 18, start their apprenticeships on November 27th. They will join a fourth apprentice Jacob Rodgers, 18, who started his apprenticeship in August working with a team of experienced bricklayers on the Lower Don Valley Flood Defence Scheme with Phoenix for main contractor, Carillion.
The new recruits will be assigned to the Sheffield Retail Quarter, a new development underway in the city centre for main contractor, BAM Construction. Today, the new recruits were presented with their new bricklayers’ tools, mandatory personal protection equipment (PPE) and a full set of workwear clothing.
Victoria Taylor, Director of Construction, The Sheffield College, said: “Training apprentices offers employers a fantastic opportunity to mould and train new talent to the skills needs of their business.”
She added: “We are delighted to work with Phoenix Brickwork, and support regional business growth and employment opportunities for young people. We would encourage more employers to get in touch to benefit from the opportunities that apprenticeships bring.”
Christian Watson, Managing Director, Phoenix Brickwork, said: “Our apprenticeship programme aims to give something back to the next generation, and address a skill shortage in the construction industry. We pair our apprentices with experienced and time served bricklayers who want to pass on their skillset to young people in order to ensure the future of brickwork in the UK.”
He explained: “I was very fortunate to benefit from this route into employment, starting my career as an apprentice in 2004 when I was just 18. That was the inspiration for Phoenix’s Apprenticeship Programme, which has grown and developed year on year since 2014, mirroring the growth of the Company.”
Apprentice Harry Bagshaw, 17, said: “I chose an apprenticeship because it’s a good way to learn about the subject that I am studying as well as getting paid to do it. I feel happy about getting an apprenticeship with Phoenix Brickwork, as it is a big company with a lot of potential for me to move on in the future. I’m looking forward to seeing how the job works out in the real world.”
The apprentices are enrolled on the NVQ Level 2 in Trowel Occupations at the College. Phoenix pride themselves on their commitment to health and safety so ensure that all new trainees attend the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) health and safety awareness course, as well as providing in house training sessions covering all aspects of safety on construction sites. This includes subjects such as working at heights and safe manual handling, with the courses run by the Company’s own accredited trainers at the head office in Pinxton, Derbyshire.
Staff from Phoenix Brickwork visited the College today, November 24th, and presented the new recruits with a full set of tools and a Phoenix branded workwear pack comprising jumpers, polo shirts, a jacket, drinking bottle and an insulated mug. The apprentices also received safety glasses, gloves, masks, safety boots, hat with hoodliner, goggles and ear defenders. Phoenix is also donating raw materials including bricks, blocks and ties for the College to use in brickwork tutorials for all bricklaying students over the coming year.
The College – which has a £321 million economic impact on the city annually - works with 850 employers to deliver apprenticeship programmes in a wide range of industry sectors for more than 2,000 apprentices. Click here for more information or call 0114 2602600.
To find out more about apprenticeships with Phoenix for 2018/19, contact Emma McEwan on 01773 599942. To follow Phoenix Brickwork on Facebook, click here. Hashtag #teamPhoenix.
