Tom Bennett |
Tom Woodhouse |
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2. Tom Bennett, multitrade repair and maintenance apprentice
Tom Bennett got more than he expected when he was hired to do some casual work for family firm J & C James. After helping owner, Michael James, lay a driveway, Tom was offered an apprenticeship with the company – the first year of which is being part-funded by Hudson Contract.
Tom, 25, is now enrolled on a level 2 Apprenticeship in Multi-Trade Repair and Maintenance, which covers carpentry and joinery, painting and decorating, plumbing, drainage, wall and floor tiling, plastering, roofing and bricklaying and stonemasonry.
Tom said:“ It’ s the variety that’ s so appealing, and the same goes outside the classroom, because
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so far with J & C James, I have helped install a floating floor, erect scaffolding and assisted with an extension.”
Boss Michael James is delighted with Tom’ s progress, he said:“ He’ s hard working and fits in well with the team. Getting the right personality is key to a small business taking on an apprentice. Every day there are different things to do- some you will like, and others that are not as exciting, so it’ s getting someone who understands this and is willing to put in the time to learn. Tom fits the bill perfectly. And having invested our time in teaching him a variety of skills, we hope to offer him a long-term career. Our track record in that area’ s not too bad, our first apprentice is still with us, and he’ ll soon be celebrating his 50th birthday!”
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3. Tom Woodhouse, bricklaying apprentice
Tom Woodhouse is an apprentice with Woodhouse & Waines, working under the guidance of his father, Ian, a former apprentice.
One of the major advantages of working with a small building firm is that Tom is gaining experience in a wide variety of areas. While he is currently working towards a level 3 NVQ in Bricklaying, he is also getting experience of groundworks, roofing and plastering, which is adding to his skills and will help him as he pursues a career in the construction industry.
Tom really enjoys the practical side of the Apprenticeship and the sense of achievement he gets from the work he carries out. He said,“ One of the first jobs I tackled was
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‘ The money took the pressure off us at the outset because I was showing Tom how to do things, I was working two or three times slower than usual, so productivity was down
’ helping to rebuild a garden wall just across the road from college. Now, every time I walk past it, it’ s good to know that I built it.”
Ian was delighted that his son wanted to follow him into the industry, and grateful for the financial support provided by the Hudson Contract Scholarship Scheme. He said:“ The money took the pressure off us at the outset because I was showing Tom how to do things, I was working two or three times slower than usual, so
productivity was down. However, that good basic grounding is now paying dividends, because he’ s now fully up-to-speed. In fact, he completed about 50 % of the brickwork on our current project.”
In the long-term, Tom hopes to progress to an advanced bricklaying course, and maybe at some point apply his trade and site knowledge as a building inspector.
www. hudsoncontract. co. uk
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