Member Article

North East apprentices praised by Transport Minister

The road to a successful career ne’er did run so smooth as it is doing for five North East apprentices working on one of the region’s largest and most important infrastructure projects.

Josh Brown, 18, Matthew Higgs, 20, Sam Lawless, 19, Will Ravenhall, 18, and Dan Robinson, 18, are five young men from the North East with a strong future ahead of them, winning apprenticeships on the £30million Morpeth Northern Bypass project with civil engineering giant Carillion Plc in partnership with Northumberland County Council.

The technical apprentices, eight months into their two-and-a-half-year training, earned their stripes in a bespoke selection process and all say the apprenticeships are the most challenging but rewarding experiences they’ve ever had. And now, they’re receiving praise from Transport Minister Lord Ahmad.

“When I left school I knew I wanted to do an apprenticeship,” says Dan Robinson, from Ashington, “I knew I didn’t want to go to sixth form and I wanted to do something more practical, but I just couldn’t find the right apprenticeship for me.”

Dan went on to study Sports and Exercise Science at college, a subject he enjoyed but knew wouldn’t be the career he wanted. He says: “Engineering was always something I thought was interesting through school, so the apprenticeship with Carillion sounded great. It certainly isn’t what I expected – but in a good way!”

Carillion apprenticeship training sees the new recruits rotate around the different aspects of the project while studying their Level 2 BTEC in civil engineering, developing skills and understanding of each area for them to make informed decisions about their career paths once training is completed.

Transport Minister Lord Ahmad says: “The government’s massive investment in transport infrastructure, including projects like the Morpeth Northern Bypass, is creating thousands of apprenticeships and inspiring young people to pursue a rewarding career in transport.

“I congratulate the five successful candidates who are not just contributing to vital transport improvements in Northumberland, they are also getting the skills and experience that will help them get on in life.”

The five apprentices involved with the MNB project were selected through a special event that put their skills to the test and gave them a chance to shine in practical situations.

Dave Bennett, project director at MNB, says: “The apprentice selection day we hosted with Learning Skills Partnership was a great success for all involved. The tasks we set, from practical survival skills activities to verbal discussions of the pros and cons of the industry, gave the budding apprentices a chance to see what kinds of things they’d be getting involved with and what skills they need, and we got the chance to see the personalities and talent in the room to make the best decision of who would fit our team and who we’d be able to support best.”

The MNB project is predicted to bring a £47million economic boost over 60 years to the county and creating up to 5,300 jobs by opening up large areas of Morpeth for housing and employment developments.

Sam Lawless, originally from Alnwick but now living in Newcastle, says that the mix of roles he gets to experience through his apprenticeship is why he enjoys going to work every day.

“If you had asked me a year ago what civil engineering was, I wouldn’t have had a clue, I thought engineering was just about engines,” says Sam, who left school without much a plan of what he was doing next, but knew the apprenticeship route was for him.

“I may have only been with Carillion for eight months but I already feel like I’ve learned a lot. The design and planning side is probably my favourite. Working with amazing software and tech like BIM (Building and Information Model) and 4D modelling is great – you really see the detail of the planning and design process and, with how precise the software helps you to be, you get to make a tough job a lot easier for the team on the ground – it’s great to be a part of.”

Dave Bennett adds: “It’s really encouraging for us that our apprentices enjoy their work here, and it’s obvious in the enthusiasm we see from them every day. The apprentices will see the MNB project through to completion before their studies conclude, giving them valuable experience and a real view and understanding of the job that classroom study simply can’t.

“The apprenticeship route is a great way to get into industry and develop the skills that employers really need. There’s a misconception that apprenticeships are only for vocational careers, but our apprenticeship scheme covers everything we possibly can – from desk work to manual labour – to make sure we’re creating the most well-rounded and skilled civil engineers we can to bolster our industry well into the future.”

Northumberland County Council Leader Grant Davey says: “As a council we’re committed to increasing the skills base in the county and investing in the economic future of Northumberland. The authority is among the top providers in the country for apprenticeship success rates and they are a fantastic option for many young people.

“It’s great to hear positive case studies of young people getting valuable employment experience which will give them a wide range of skills necessary for the future.”

For more information on Carillion Plc and the Morpeth Northern Bypass project, visit www.morpethnorthernbypass.org or www.carillionplc.com.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Jess Ramsey .