Ahead of National Apprenticeship Week a growing Cambridge
construction company is highlighting the crucial role apprentices
play in its future success.
CamProp Construction, which redevelops brownfield sites into
modern facilities like offices and labs supporting Cambridge's
dynamic economy, has been working with the Combined Authority's
Growth Works With Skills team and not-for-profit apprenticeship
agency TrAC and its FutureIn project, which helps those from
vulnerable backgrounds into apprenticeships.
The Combined Authority is working to increase apprenticeships in
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough by working with both employers
and individuals to support the ‘earn and learn' route into the
workplace.
For CamProp, apprenticeships are an investment in securing future
talent, especially with known skills shortages affecting the
construction industry. The Construction Industry Training Board
estimates a need for 20,000 more
skilled workers in the East of England by 2028.
One such apprentice is 23-year-old Omar, a Cambridge-born Civil
Engineering graduate who undertook a construction course with The
New Meaning Foundation before starting an apprenticeship with
CamProp.
“The apprenticeship has really opened my eyes to what I wanted to
do,” he said.
"It allowed me to experience different areas and fields of the
construction industry and really helped me shape what I want my
future to look like.”
Now focused on a career in project management, Omar is gaining
hands-on experience in his two-year, Level 3 construction support
technician apprenticeship delivered
remotely by Learning Skills Partnership.
“A lot of people say to themselves, ‘why waste my time studying
when I can be gaining experience?', and a lot of people think, ‘I
need to study to start on the path of gaining experience.'
“An apprenticeship really gives you the best of both worlds.”
Chris Wall,
Construction Director from CamProp said apprenticeships offer a
clear, sustainable way to address skills gaps.
“We see it as key to our future,” he said.
"We need to get younger people into construction and by investing
in the apprentice scheme, we see this as a good way to do it.”
“On the construction management side of the business, there's an
ageing workforce and bringing in new blood and younger people
will help the future of CamProp Construction."
And for TrAC, there's work to do on helping more people from
diverse or vulnerable backgrounds get into apprenticeships.
Chris Homewood, Business Account Manager at TrAC, said: “It's
very important to us that people from vulnerable backgrounds have
the same opportunity to access apprenticeships and internships as
everyone else. FutureIN exists to give them that chance. The
FutureIN Steering Board, which includes Howard Group and Urban
and Civic, plays in integral role in pushing this agenda forward
and helping to secure placements for the people we support."
Jon Wynne, Senior Project Manager from CamProp, added: “We've
worked with TrAC and FutureIn specifically targeting apprentices
from a vulnerable background because being a Cambridge-based
company, we feel it important that we give something back to the
community we work in.”
Growth Works with Skills
supports local employers, like CamProp, to navigate
apprenticeships. The service helps businesses secure up to 100%
of apprenticeship funding, connect with high-quality training
providers, and align apprenticeships with their growth plans.
Over the past year, it has facilitated 40 new apprenticeship
starts, with an additional 30 in the pipeline. More than £400,000
in funding is currently available for employers and training
providers via the Apprenticeship Levy share.
Dr , Mayor of Cambridgehsire and Peterborough,
said: “This is a great example of why the Combined
Authority is backing more apprenticeships across the region. They
offer incredible opportunities for people of all ages and
backgrounds to build great careers while supporting employers'
growth plans. I encourage individuals and employers alike to
explore the benefits of apprenticeships this National
Apprenticeship Week and see how they can contribute.”
