The Heating and Ventilation apprentice spoke alongside senior managers from major construction organisations at a Summit Skills workshop at CRC to promote skills and apprenticeships.
He told industry bosses that one of the big advantages of apprenticeships was earning while learning, and studying at Cambridge Regional College one day a week.
“The apprenticeship gives me life experience, independence and responsibility,” he said. “I learn additional skills at college, that will help me with my job role now and in the future, and I can practice doing tasks at college and perfect skills that I can take back to my work.”
Courtney, an apprentice pipe-fitter and welder with James Brown Mechanical Services of Soham, was speaking at the workshop at CRC’s SmartLife Low Carbon Centre, attended by around 50 industry experts.
He told delegates: “We are supported by tutors and assessors from CRC; and I have regular site visits from my assessor that give me the motivation and encouragement to complete my apprenticeship.”
Delegates heard practical views on the use of apprentices within the construction industry, including talks from Paul Andrews of Wates Construction Group, and Ian Greenstock of the Kershaw Group, who had themselves begun their careers as apprentices.
They also toured the college site to see projects undertaken by apprentices, and heard Martin Kent from CRC talk about how the college is structured to provide training to build the skills which the industry needs.
The event, sponsored by the National Apprenticeship Service, was chaired by Summit Skills, the sector skills council for the building services engineering sector.
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