While bricklaying wasn’t Hamza’s first choice of career, it definitely feels like the right one now as he nears the end of his two-year apprenticeship at our Wakefield-based Yorkshire division.
Originally Hamza Ahmed, 20, from Leeds, had decided to study car mechanics however he soon realised that it wasn’t right for him so instead of spending more time on something he didn’t really want to do, he decided to enrol for a bricklaying course instead.
“I knew I needed a course that was going to be engaging and hands-on rather than sitting in classes and having to do numerous exams. My dad is a bricklayer so I’d seen the sort of work he did from a young age and I decided to follow in his footsteps,” says Hamza.
At the end of his college course, Hamza’s tutor at Leeds College of Building put him in touch with Gary Woodhouse, a project manager and apprentice coordinator for the Yorkshire division.
“I knew that Redrow’s apprenticeships had a really good reputation and, unlike others I’d heard about, the company provides full support to all their apprentices,” says Hamza.
Hamza has worked with sub-contractors Justin Swales LTD during his apprenticeship: “I remember my first day on site, I had never been on a building site before, so it was overwhelming and so different to just being in college. The people I’ve been lucky enough to work with have been so supportive and pushed me to work harder throughout my apprenticeship. It was really nice to know they trusted my work; it’s really boosted my confidence.”
Hamza knew that with an apprenticeship and qualifications behind him, employers would look at him more favourably knowing he’d worked for a reputable company. He is aiming to achieve a level three NVQ when his apprenticeship ends this summer.
“It’s great to have so many options available to me when I finish my apprenticeship this summer. One route I’m interested in taking is to stay with Redrow and train to be a site manager. Watching the site managers work has opened my eyes to a career path that may not have been available had I not done an apprenticeship.”
Redrow’s Gary Woodhouse said: “Hamza has made excellent progress during his time with us. I’ve seen his confidence develop in both himself and his work and he’s become a valuable member of the site team.”
We’re preparing to recruit another 80 apprentices in England and Wales later this year.
“At Redrow we’re really committed to nurturing the talent of the next generation of trades and aim to provide them with a clear career path once their apprenticeship ends,” adds Gary.
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 information about becoming an apprentice with us and other career opportunities visit: www.redrowcareers.co.uk
