The Hill Group, in partnership with London-based organisation K10, is celebrating its Southeast construction apprenticeship scheme, which has successfully trained 21 apprentices in Cambridge alone
The scheme has equipped young apprentices vital new skills and has created positive social value for the local community, benefitted the talent pool within the construction industry, and positively enhanced the careers and lives of the apprentices.
One apprentice, Curtis Peacock, aged 26, found his ambition of working in property development when he saw an opportunity to become a trainee painter and decorator through Hill’s partnership with K10’s apprenticeship scheme.
Curtis decided to leave his job at Tesco and take up the role of working on Hill schemes across Cambridge. In addition, Curtis also attends Cambridge Regional College every Friday to improve his overall knowledge and know-how. As a result of the apprenticeship, Curtis will be a City and Guild’s qualified painter and decorator at the end of the three-year programme.
‘On the job training’
Commenting on the programme, Curtis said: “I am so happy to be learning a craft that will put my future in good stead. My working day starts at seven and finishes at 3 – some
might find that early, but it means I have the afternoons to do other things.
“I love the variety of my work – one day I can be painting, another doing finishes, another filling and caulking. I am often working with other people so I am not alone; others are around to chat to and learn from. I have a supervisor at work that helps me when I need it, but I also learn a lot from my colleagues and on the job training.”
‘Allowing young people to learn valuable skills’
Andy Hill, CEO at Hill, also commented: “Our apprentice programme is a fantastic way of allowing young people to learn valuable skills that will set them up for a career in the construction industry.
“Not only is this a great way of bringing forward the next generation of talent within our industry, but the programme can also greatly enhance the lives of the apprentices themselves and the wider community.”
Hill also added: “The success of our apprentice system is a real team effort and we are very proud of what we have been able to achieve both in partnership with K10 and with our own apprentices.
“Our contractors and site managers also play a major role in delivering the core skills required within each role, their time and patience in helping educate our apprentices is vital to the programme.”
