First new apprentices sign up in Luton

Four new apprentices - the first of nearly 300 local young people to potentially be taken on as part of the Luton BSF programme - were signed up at Wates Construction’s offices in Capability Green today (Thursday, 12 November).

As one of the considerable added-value benefits of Luton’s £0.5 billion investment in new schools, housing and community facilities being delivered by the Luton Learning and Community Partnership (LLCP), Wates has committed to providing five apprenticeships for every £10 million of construction work over the next three to four years.

With construction work now well underway on four schools in Luton, Wates’ mechanical and engineering partner, the Dodd Group, is taking on the first quartet of apprentices:

Benjamin Blanchett (17), from Stopsley, Luton, is being taken on to carry out an advanced apprenticeship in electrical installation at Barnfield College.

Nathan Lomath (18), another Luton resident, has also been signed up to pursue an advanced apprenticeship in electrical installation.

Jack Spencer (19), has signed up for an advanced apprenticeship in plumbing at Barnfield College. He too lives in Luton.

Elaine Fowler (18), from Biggleswade, is being taken on for an advanced apprenticeship at the Bedford College plumbing technology centre. 

Six more young people from the area will be signed up this year, with as many as 70 expected every year right up to 2013.    Each of the four apprenticeships, run through the national apprenticeship training provider JTL, will take four years and includes the entire range of relevant key skills, technical certificate and NVQ level 3.  Once completed, the apprentices will be Joint Industry Board (JIB) registered and thus fully qualified to work in the industry. 

LLCP’s project forms part of the national Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme,  the largest single schools capital investment programme in over 50 years which will see every state secondary school in England - around 3,500 in total - rebuilt or remodelled. But Luton’s programme extends well beyond this and will include a range of ambitious projects that sit far outside a typical BSF framework.

These include a £25 million aquatic centre, with a 50 metre pool, diving area and state-of-the-art fitness centre.  There is also a £5m integrated children’s development centre, funded by NHS Luton and the government’s Co-location Fund, to provide specialised care for youngsters with disabilities.  There will be new libraries and even a 250+ seat community theatre.  In another capital project valued at around £75 million, LLCP are building 450 affordable homes through Wates Living Space, the affordable housing division of the Wates Group. Catalyst Housing Group is the registered social landlord who will own and manage the social housing element. 

The total capital programme spend by 2013 is now projected at £516 million, a substantial extension of the original BSF-only budget.  As well as generating apprenticeships and work-experience programmes, Wates and its supply-chain partners are committed to buying skills, labour and materials from Luton and the surrounding area as often as possible to help sustain and create local employment prospects. 

Ian Vickers, a director for Wates Construction in Luton, said: “The signing of these apprentices is great news for Luton – demonstrating not only the added value that the BSF programme is bringing to the area, but by creating much needed jobs in what is a tough economic climate.  These young people will be part of a comprehensive apprenticeship training programme that will bring together a combination of both practical, work based learning and theory – not only serving them well both now and later on in their careers, but ensuring that the local economy and industry is skilled and qualified. I am delighted that Wates is part of this”.

Cllr Tahir Khan, Luton Borough Council’s executive member for children’s services commented: “Our extended programme will deliver great new schools, much-needed affordable housing and a vast array of community facilities.  In terms of economics, half a billion is serious money: the partnership’s policy of ‘keeping it local’ will support the town’s business community and job creation prospects will benefit greatly.  These new apprenticeships are just one example.”

Damion Pidgeon, operations director of the Dodd Group, said: “The Dodd Group is delighted to be part of the Luton BSF programme and Wates commitment to supporting and reinvesting into the local Luton community. These four apprentices are the first in a wave of local young people being recruited via apprenticeships and other opportunities, and will be based at Lea Manor School and Barnfield West Academy, where they will be gaining extensive work based experience.

“As an electrical apprentice myself with the Dodd Group over 19 years ago, we are committed to the recruitment and development of apprentices across the country – currently employing over 70 trainees.”

On the same day (Thursday, 12 November), Wates Education also took part in a jobs fair at Marsh Farm to help spread the word about job training and work opportunities for local people that are arising from the LLCP project.

Categories: CR, people

Tags: Added Value, apprentices, Building Schools for the Future