Catherine on site with apprentices
CATHERINE MCKINNELL MP IS CONSTRUCTION APPRENTICE FOR THE DAY
In the run up to National Apprenticeship Week (7 – 11 February 2011), CITB-ConstructionSkills and the Federation of Master Builders invited Catherine McKinnell, MP for Newcastle North, to visit a live construction project in Newcastle to experience life as an apprentice for the day.
The aim of National Apprenticeship Week is to highlight the talents and skills of apprentices and encourage young people and employers to think about how an apprenticeship could benefit them. Whilst onsite Catherine McKinnell MP tried her hand at a range of activities including bricklaying, roofing and new fascias on a large house extension, as well as experiencing first-hand the skills needed to work with modern ‘green’ technologies.
Catherine McKinnell MP said: “I am really grateful to ConstructionSkills for providing this opportunity to “be an apprentice for the day”. I have been campaigning tirelessly in Parliament to highlight the crucial role and importance of apprenticeships in providing high quality training opportunities and work experience, developing skills which can lead to a successful career throughout all sectors of our economy. Today has given me a real chance to see the great training and experiences that a construction apprentice can gain.”
“My Apprenticeships and Skills Public Procurement Bill which receives its second reading in Parliament during National Apprenticeship Week, aims to increase the number of apprentices by introducing a requirement that contracts awarded by public authorities include a commitment that successful bidders demonstrate firm commitment to skills training and apprenticeships. I hope that by working together with employers in the North East and throughout the country we can make real steps forward for Apprenticeships in the UK.”
Barry Oliver, Northern Counties Regional Director for the Federation of Master Builders said: “The project we visited today is being delivered by J.D. Joinery & Building, a member of the FMB, and is quite typical of the type of work being undertaken by FMB member companies. J.D. Joinery & Building is a company that has working with apprentices at its heart, helping them to achieve and progress in the industry. They currently employ four apprentices from the North East region and the FMB is committed to ensuring more young people are granted apprenticeships, like this, with FMB member firms.”
Steve Housden, Sector Strategy Manager for CITB-ConstructionSkills in the North East said: “We were delighted to welcome Catherine onsite today, as she was able to see how important developing future skills and up-skilling the industry is, if we are take advantage of new technologies and growth opportunities. Training and skills development needs to start with apprentices, as the lifeblood of the construction industry and it is vital that employers continue to support apprentices.”
CITB-ConstructionSkills is supporting National Apprenticeship Week as part of its Positive Image campaign, which works with employers and federations to attract enthusiastic new recruits to construction, ranging from apprenticeships recruitment, skills competitions and dispelling myths about the industry, meaning the UK will have the right skills in the right place at the right time – when the upturn comes.
Apprenticeship Week, organised by the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS), highlights the skills apprentices can develop, the career opportunities available and bring together apprentices, employers, providers and all those involved with Apprenticeship programmes.