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Rowner Renewal Partnership Celebrates Its Apprentices
10th February 2011This week (Feb 7-11) is national Apprenticeship Week, and so it is a particularly good time to put the spotlight on the talented and passionate young people who are developing high-level technical and leadership skills, supported by their employer, through apprenticeship programmes.
The value of apprenticeships has not gone unnoticed across government. Additional resources will, in fact, be targeted towards growing apprentice numbers in the coming years with John Hayes, the Minster for Skills, recently saying that he has ambitions for over 350,000 apprenticeships during his term as Minister.
The Rowner Renewal Partnership (whose members include First Wessex, Gosport Borough Council, Hampshire County Council, Homes & Communities Agency and Taylor Wimpey) individually all celebrate and support the apprenticeship programme but this week would like to showcase their three new construction apprentices employed by Taylor Wimpey on the multi-million pound Rowner regeneration project.
The Rowner Renewal Partnership’s core aim is to not only regenerate the area with new buildings, landscaping and homes but to provide vital new jobs for local people. We are pleased to say that with construction well under way the number of people living in the Gosport area employed on the regeneration project is 38 (41%), three of whom are apprentices.
For Alex Quelch (19), Jacob Patten (20) and Michael Williamson (18) all three found their apprenticeships whilst training at Fareham College and now continuing their training at Highbury College and Southampton City College whilst working on site in Rowner with Taylor Wimpey’s sub-contractors. They tell their stories below.
Alex Quelch is a carpentry and joinery apprentice. Alex has lived in the same house in Bridgemary all his life and attended Holbrook Junior School and Bridgemary Sports College. He has always wanted to be a carpenter as he enjoys making things at home and liked woodwork at school.
With good GCSEs, he went to Fareham College for Level 1 and Level 2 in Carpentry and Joinery. It was here that his tutor told him about the apprenticeships on offer from Taylor Wimpey. He explains:
“I couldn’t believe how lucky I was. I had just finished my two year course and needed work experience. I got an interview and got the three year apprenticeship. It is just perfect for me – literally down the road from where I live. My dad is proud of me.
“I go to Highbury College one day a week usually on a Monday at their North Harbour site in Port Solent. Then I work on the Alver Village site. I am working with Taylor Wimpey’s sub-contractor, M & R Carpentry. They have taught me a lot. At the moment I am working mainly on the roofs and the joists. I tend to learn more on site than at college now because I am in the thick of it. I get to learn little tips and can work much quicker now.
“In total it is a three year apprenticeship and I hope to complete my NVQ Level 3 at the end of the first year. I hope to get a job as a fully qualified carpenter at the end of the apprenticeship. I have been really lucky. Taylor Wimpey is a good company to work for.”
Jacob Patten is a bricklaying apprentice and has lived in Alverstoke for most of his life but studied for a while in Leicester when his dad was in the navy. He went to Alverstoke Junior School and Bayhouse Secondary College. Whilst he was happy with his GCSEs, he didn’t want to continue with A levels and university as he thought he would enjoy a more practical route. Jake explains:
"I started at Fareham College and we were the first bricklaying group to do it. It was a two year course and nine of us in total completed it. When it finished I got a job with a rendering company and worked for two years just general labouring. But when the work started to dry up and the recession hit, I had to look for other work.
“I found the apprenticeship advertised on the internet and is the best thing to happen to me because I need the qualifications to progress. I am studying at Southampton City College because Highbury doesn’t do Level 3 in bricklaying. I drive there to study for one week in every month and then work the following three weeks on site. There is more than people think to bricklaying – many different types to learn, different walls, different cuts – there’s quite a bit of maths in it.
"Taylor Wimpey and A & B Homes (Brickwork) have been really good. I work for eight and half hours a day, 39 hours a week with the weekends off. They have sorted me out with the tools to do the job which helps me a hell of a lot by saving me time and money. It is an 18 month apprenticeship to get my Level 3 and I am hoping for a job at the end of it. They have been really helpful and have looked after me well.”
Michael Williamson is also a bricklaying apprentice and has also lived in the area all his life; for the last six years in Alverstoke. He went to New Town Junior School and Brune Park Community College. He says:
“I did alright in my GCSEs but was disappointed with a couple of them. Talking with my mates, I had always fancied doing brickwork so I got on the course at Fareham College for Level 1 and Level 2 in bricklaying. I loved it; the tutors were friendly and helpful but when the course finished I had to try and get myself a job.
“At first I started ringing around building firms but with the recession it was difficult to find anything. My mum then told me to try Connexions so I went there and they told me about the apprenticeships on offer at Taylor Wimpey. To get my CSCS card to qualify for working on a building site I need to get my NVQ Level 3 in bricklaying.
“I rang up Chris Ott’s secretary and sent in my CV via email. A couple of weeks later I got an interview with Chris Ott who is a really friendly guy. He offered me the apprenticeship as he thought I was hard working and he also organised the placement for me at Southampton City College where they do Level 3.
“I travel into the college with Jake, who is also an apprentice and work alongside him, for three weeks in four at A&M Homes (Brickwork). I can’t really describe what it’s like being in work – it’s is a lot different from just studying. I am proud to do a real job, it is a good feeling and I am really pleased. All work is tiring but I am enjoying the job. Taylor Wimpey and A&M Homes (Brickwork) have just been brilliant.”
Phil Chapman, Regional Managing Director for Taylor Wimpey says:
“We are delighted with the work of Alex, Jake and Michael and we will be seeking to employ more apprentices for the project as it progresses. The apprenticeship scheme is a tried and tested model, familiar to employers and widely respected by the country at large. Taylor Wimpey wholeheartedly supports apprenticeships and will continue to do so.”
For further information about the Rowner Renewal project please visit www.rownerrenewal.com
ENDS
Media contact: Judi Ammari at Harvest Marketing Communications
023 9244 9655 or 07960 888494 or judi.ammari@harvestpr.co.uk
Photographs. Alex Quelch, Jacob Patten and Michael Williamson attached
NOTE TO EDITORS:
Phase 1 of the eight year Rowner Renewal Project includes 219 new homes and work is well underway. The first new residents are expected to move in April 2011..
An Alver Village Sales and Information Suite is located along Grange Road for interested people to view the private sales and shared ownership opportunities within Phase 1. This is open for private sales on Monday (1-5pm) and from Tuesday-Sunday (10am-5pm) First Wessex staff are there on Thursday (10am-5pm) to talk to people about affordable housing sales.
The Compulsory Purchase Order for the whole of the Rowner Renewal area has been issued by Gosport Borough Council. A Public Inquiry on this will be held on 8 March at 10 am at Gosport Town Hall.
All of the members of The Rowner Renewal Partnership are leaders in community regeneration and providers of quality homes:-
First Wessex is a respected local association with a strong track record of success in community development and regeneration. First Wessex manages 1400 homes in Gosport of mixed tenure for rent and shared ownership. It has a significant stake in Rowner and is a well respected landlord, well placed to manage the outcomes of the regeneration.
Gosport Borough Council is the accountable body for the citizens of Gosport and speaks on behalf of the whole community. The redevelopment of the Rowner Village is a significant priority for the Council. They wish to work closely with their residents to ensure that within Rowner a cohesive and sustainable community is maintained. The Council has long supported community development and projects in Rowner and has assembled the team to get things done.
Hampshire County Council has played a key leadership role in facilitating the Partnership. It has committed specialist project management and financial support and secured the political will, at regional and national levels, for the regeneration of Rowner. It is the accountable body for the citizens of Hampshire and takes the strategic view for long term benefit. On the project their responsibilities include issues affecting roads, transport and regeneration.
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) is the single, national housing and regeneration delivery agency for England. Our vision is to create opportunity for people to live in homes they can afford in places they want to live, by enabling local authorities and communities to deliver the ambition they have for their own areas.
For more information visit www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/newsevent
Taylor Wimpey UK is a part of Taylor Wimpey plc. As well as operating in the UK, Taylor Wimpey plc builds homes in North America, Spain and Gibraltar. It aims to be the homebuilder of choice for customers, employees, shareholders and for the communities in which it operates. Taylor Wimpey builds a range of properties across the UK, from one bedroom apartments and starter homes up to large detached family houses. For further information please visit www.taylorwimpey.co.uk/alver
