Two former apprentices, now in site management roles, are proof that a Redrow apprenticeship is a great way to kick-start a career.
Jason Booth, from Chorley, has progressed to assistant site manager and Rob Jones, from Moston, has been a site manager for two years.
Jason, 25, says those considering an apprenticeship should “go for it” as they won’t look back. He’s now got qualifications deemed to be equivalent to a degree and has earned money throughout his training.
His comments come as the Government’s Education and Skills Funding Agency celebrates National Apprenticeship Week in England (February 8-14, 2021) and we prepare to recruit another 80 apprentices in England and Wales later this year.
Jason completed a two-year bricklaying apprenticeship with us after initially doing a bricklaying course at Preston College. After his two-year apprenticeship came to an end, he secured a permanent role as a trainee assistant site manager and completed an NVQ level four in site supervision.
Jason’s studies have continued and he is now looking after site operations at Willows Green in Clayton-le-Woods as he progresses towards becoming a site manager in the near future.
“I’m just finishing an NVQ level six which is the equivalent of a degree. One advantage of an apprenticeship over attending university is, instead of getting into student debt, I’ve been paid since I started my apprenticeship. Redrow even paid for my NVQ qualifications so it’s been a very beneficial way of developing my skills.
“When you start as an apprentice, many people think that you’ll just work in that trade for life, but there are so many more prospects. An apprenticeship is just the start of that journey.”
Jason says he wouldn’t have got to where he is today without working alongside a fantastic team of people, including five-time NHBC award-winning site manager Simon Nix: “He taught me so much on top of what I learned during my apprenticeship. This is just another highlight of an apprenticeship - you work with skilled, experienced people who pass on their knowledge.”
Site manager Rob Jones, 27, also began as an apprentice bricklayer but is now in charge of site operations at Oak Leigh Gardens in Clitheroe.
Rob was so keen to work with us that he used to visit a site close to where he lived in Moston on a daily basis asking if they would take him on: “Finally, I started a three-year bricklaying apprenticeship with Redrow and after that I was offered the opportunity to work my way up to management. I’ve been a site manager now for two years.”
Rob says he had a vision of what he wanted to achieve and the apprenticeship was a way to get his foot in the door.
The Lancashire division’s construction director, Keith Collard, says: “Jason and Rob are just two examples how far an apprenticeship can take people. It’s a great way of learning a skill and developing a career while doing the job and getting paid for it. As Jason says, you also work alongside our highly skilled site teams and have our support throughout.
“Here in Lancashire we’ll be looking to recruit four new trade apprentices this year, as well as apprentices in other office based and technical roles.”
Our apprenticeship programme is just one element of our commitment to nurturing talent and inspiring the next generation to build. We also run a number of graduate training programmes and have launched our own Construction Management in Housebuilding sponsored degree programme run in conjunction with Liverpool John Moores University and Coleg Cambria.
For more about apprenticeship opportunities with Redrow and how to apply go to www.redrowcareers.co.uk/apprentices
