Hudson Contract and Yorkshire Water, as large Apprenticeship Levy paying organisations, have kindly transfered some of their excess accrued Apprenticeship Levy to EN:Able Futures to help us fund new apprenticeships.
Here is an update on some of the those apprentices who have been started new careers in construction thanks to their kind Apprenticeship Levy Transfers.
Matthew Byford Loggie joined host Civil Engineering & Structural Engineers Alan Wood & Partners in June 2021, where he is an Apprentice Civil Technician. Matthew's apprenticeship was made possible from a Levy Transfer by Hudson Contract. Matthew recently won Civil Engineering Apprentice of the Year at the East Riding College Apprenticeship Awards 2022.
Matthew said: “I chose to do an apprenticeship route in structural engineering as I wanted real hands-on experience of the job. You are improving all the time, jobs and projects are all varied so they are testing my skills and I am not faced with the same challenges twice. Although the work is the same, there are very discreet differences in each job, the team are always being challenged with knowledge by asking questions to the full team so it’s a constant learning environment.
“College wise I’m currently working on Construction principles unit 2 and will have two more assignments to complete for this unit and I’m doing extra lessons for CAD from home.”
Paul Steadman, Office Director, Alan Wood & Partners said: "Having minimal initial experience, it was clear Matthew’s hunger to learn will give us amazing potential to fully develop his abilities. He is consistently pro-active in improving his own learning, his thinking, researching and then asking questions; this is a great asset for him but equally for us it means we are able to expand his portfolio of work increasing his fee earning capabilities beyond our expectations.
"We now have new graduates in the office and although Matthew is theoretically less qualified, he is working with them to support them to produce good quality calculations and drawings. This certainly brought out his thoughtfulness of others and the willingness to go the extra mile to get the best out of people.
"Matthew is always willing to help, has a great attitude to learning and is keen to try new things to test and expand his knowledge. He is turning into a fantastic apprentice and we definitely need another ‘Matthew’ in all our offices."
Henry joined host R.H Fullwood & Co in April 2021, where he is doing a Level 3 Business Administration Apprenticeship. R.H. Fullwood host a wide variety of apprentices supported by EN:Able Futures and fully support apprenticeships throughout their business. Henry's apprenticeship was made possible from a Levy Transfer by Yorkshire Water.
Since starting his apprenticeship Henry has become more familiar with the industry, how it works and what processes they use. He has been learning about business administration and writing about how this applies to his role. Henry has been sending enquiries for tenders and also handles incoming queries and directs them to the right places. He is also attending site meetings and has become more involved with the running of site and will soon be learning how to price materials from drawings.
Henry says: “I fit in well with the company and have made good friends with colleagues.”
Also with R.H. Fullwood & Co is Harrison, who joined host R.H Fullwood & Co in August 2021, where he is doing a Level 2 Bricklaying Apprenticeship. Harrison's apprenticship was funded by Levy Transfer by Hudson Contract.
Harrison has been working on snagging, building parting walls, gable ends and fitting electric boxes. He has also been working on general brick and block work and building different types of walls.
Guy Fullwood, Director, R.H. Fullwood& Co Ltd, said: "We are very very happy with Henry, a very nice person and he is doing lots of stuff I didn’t expect him to. He is a star !!!
“As a SME we have found the flexibility while working with EN:Able Fututres to be perfect for our organisation. The Support given from them includes screening of candidates before they are presented to ourselves for consideration, and assisting with getting apprentices ready for the workplace environment.
"During the apprenticeship we receive regular updates and support is provided to apprentices and ourselves regarding their performance. We also receive advice and assistance with producing the evidence that is required for qualification purposes.
Apprenticeship levy funds that expire due to not being used within two years are returned to the Treasury, instead of being put to good use supporting apprenticeships.
For employers who are not using their apprenticeship levy, there is positive action they can take to avoid missing out. By donating up to 25% of their apprenticeship levy funds to EN:Able Futures, employers can directly support apprenticeships in their respective industries and regions.
As a Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Agency EN:Able Futures employs both trade and technical apprentices in the construction, housing and civil engineering sectors, providing support to the apprentices and the companies hosting them. This ensures that most of our apprentices succeed in their chosen careers, with 98% who complete their training going straight into full-time employment or higher education.
To understand more about how levy transfer work this useful blog provides some insight.
https://sfadigital.blog.gov.uk/category/transferring-apprenticeship-funding/
If you are a levy paying employer and would like to find out more about how you could help fund apprenticeships in your area, please contact Nicky Field, EN:Able Futures Operations Manager:
nicky.field@efficiencynorth.org / 07791 877 747