Our Apprenticeship Academy was officially opened last week with guests including customers, suppliers and partners such as Solihull College and University Centre.
At the opening Managing Director Malcolm McDermott said, “We want to increase the opportunities available for local young people. The construction industry can provide a very rewarding career for both men and women in a wide variety of roles. By developing partnerships with our customers and the supply chain, local schools and colleges, we can create apprenticeships to meet the industry’s needs.”
Shilpi Akbar, Assistant Director for Employment at Birmingham City Council was the guest speaker and presented the Council’s ambitious plans for growth and regeneration of Birmingham. Shilpi explained that the City was attracting a great amount of investment with recent examples being the relocation of HSBC’s headquarters to Birmingham and the high speed rail network HS2.
Within her address, Shilpi acknowledged that perhaps the greatest challenge to such development plans was how we best resolve the national skills shortage; which was of particular concern within the construction sector.
She stated that, ironically, there were many thousands of youngsters within Birmingham alone that were unemployed, ready and wanting to learn new skills. Shilpi said, “What McDermotts is doing with its Apprenticeship Academy is connecting that available resource of willing youngsters, developing them and bridging this skills gap; for both its own requirements and that of the wider construction sector.”
The McDermotts Apprenticeship Academy currently has 16 students undertaking Apprenticeships in Bricklaying or Groundworks. Through an 18 month programme the apprentices are given underpinning knowledge and basic skills training at the Academy, accredited to expected health and safety standards, and then sent to site for valuable practical training and experience.
If you want more information about the Apprenticeship Academy and its training programme, contact Academy Training Manager, Andy Moule, on 0121 326 1450 or email andy.moule@salutem.co.uk
