Celebrating National Apprenticeship Week 6 - 10 February 2012

10 Feb 2012

On 8 February eight students from Haverstock School, Camden, attended the local Building Lives Training Academy to participate in a taster day organised by Lakehouse, and run by Lakehouse-employed apprentices, who are undertaking construction training at the academy.

Under the supervision of Perry Foster, a Building Lives ambassador, apprentices Robel Tesfai, Jamie Puleston and Kiran James enjoyed the opportunity to switch roles and tutor the students themselves. They showed off their skills in tiling, wall paper hanging, and wood graining, and encouraged the students to have a go themselves.

The event was set up to promote apprenticeships in aid of National Apprenticeship Week. We currently have around 50 apprentices working with us, some office-based and some out on construction sites within London and the southeast.

Providing training and employment opportunities is a great way for us to demonstrate added value for our clients, and their communities. We gain loyal, hard working apprentices who are very grateful for what is often their first step on the career ladder, and in turn the apprentices enjoy paid work and training which enables them to achieve a nationally recognised qualification.

There are wider benefits for the construction industry as a whole, and apprenticeships are helping to fill skills gaps in the industry whilst encouraging new talent, and increasing diversity. Apprenticeships are helping our business to grow and prosper, and we’re reaping the rewards. These successful apprentices will become some of the highly skilled workers the construction industry will need in the future.  Apprenticeships aren’t just good for our business, they’re great!