Federation of Master Builders takes on Apprentice Role to Support Builders in the North East
June Davidson and Alex Brown at work
TUESDAY 7th FEBRUARY 2012 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week Federation of Master Builders (FMB) Regional Manager, June Davidson, spent the day learning the trade the practical way by being an apprentice for the day with FMB member building company Macoun Construction in Newcastle upon Tyne.
June shadowed one of Macoun’s apprentices, Alex Brown, as the company built a two storey extension for a client in Gosforth. June got stuck in carrying out some important joinery tasks then helped calculate and order new flooring materials.
June’s visit took place as part of National Apprenticeship Week 2012 which is organised by the National Apprenticeship Service during the 6th – 10th February to celebrate the country’s apprentices and the benefits they bring to business.
June Davidson, FMB Regional Manager for the North East, said:
“I’ve worked in construction, supporting SMEs for years, but today I have had a taste of what it’s like to learn a trade and start out in our industry. I’ve also seen first hand how beneficial an apprentice can be for a small business. Taking on an apprentice is a considerable investment for any business especially in today’s climate, which is why the Government’s proposal of a £1,500 incentive payment for small businesses is an excellent idea. However, the Government should extend the eligibility criteria and allow small businesses with a history of employing apprentices to benefit as well.”
June Davidson and Richard Weir
Richard Weir, Managing Director at Macoun Construction, said:
“Having June on site today was great. She was able to see exactly how we train our apprentices and see what an excellent environment a building site is for learning practical and organisational skills. We take young people straight from school and teach them a trade that they can rely on for the rest of their lives. We also teach them some of the essential skills needed in any career, such as good timekeeping and communication skills. Macoun had always employed at least one apprentice because new entrants are essential to the development of our business. In today’s competitive market place companies need to continually evolve and our apprentice training programme is just one of our initiatives geared to improving the service we offer.”
Weir concluded:
“Any training programme is an investment and an incentive payment for hiring an apprentice would help reduce the amount of time before a business sees a return on their investment. An exemption from employer National Insurance contributions for all apprentices employed by small businesses would also help more companies to take on long term trainees.”
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