Joe Mattison

“ With a lifetime of working in construction , I remain passionate about championing our industry as a great place to work and doing everything I can to make it a profession of choice for young people today . We are all aware of the skills shortage in construction , making it even more vital that we , as an industry , take note and do our bit to help .

“ The government ’ s increasing reliance on our industry to spearhead improvements in infrastructure should create demand for more skilled workers within the sector . Training , including Apprenticeships , will therefore play an important part to increase the number of skilled operatives in the sector .

“ Apprenticeships are crucial to enticing new talent into the industry because they provide the perfect environment for people to kick-start their careers . The combination of practical guidance and on-the-job training from employers and the skills learned at college , give apprentices a solid foundation for working in the trades .

“ Equally , there are many advantages for those construction firms who choose to nurture young talent in the industry . Taking on apprentices provides flexibility to the existing workforce , allows a company to develop new recruits to directly meet its own business ’ needs , and can also introduce new skills and energy into the team .

“ The government ’ s new levy which is set to launch in April , will fund three million Apprenticeships by 2020 . Firms which have a payroll of more than £ 3 million per year will contribute through their RTI HMRC submissions

, and the money will be dished out to anyone who takes on an apprentice – levy payer or not – through the Skills Funding Agency . The introduction of the levy and training service will be very welcome , and will certainly make it easier for employers to build their workforce from the ground up . However , the levy alone will not be enough to combat the construction industry skills shortage .

“ This is why we , at Hudson Contract , are also calling on firms across the country to establish an Apprentice Sponsorship Scheme like our own . We offer 12 months ’ financial support to employers , in our local area , to help them take on an apprentice , paying 50 per cent of each apprentice ’ s wage for the first year of their training . The scheme is really simple – and it has to be , to ensure there ’ s plenty of take-up in an area where only a

handful of construction firms have more than five employees .

“ Over the past five years we have sponsored more than 80 apprentices . By way of investing in the future of the industry , we aim to support a further 20 apprentices over the coming year . We would really like to see other companies follow suit to help foster the skills our industry needs , across the electrical , plumbing , building and joinery trades .”

Learning the trade

These apprentices had the first year of their qualification funded by Hudson Contract ( www . hudsoncontract . co . uk ) as part of its Apprentice Scholarship Scheme .

1 . Joe Mattison , bricklaying apprentice

Bricklaying apprentice , Joe Mattison set his heart on a career in bricklaying after attending a college open day organised by his school . He said : “ We got to look at a whole range of trades , but bricklaying grabbed my attention .”

Now working towards a level 3 NVQ in bricklaying at East Riding College , 19-year-old Joe had the first year of his apprenticeship with Springvale Homes part-funded by Hudson Contract .

During his apprenticeship , Joe has been mainly working on a bespoke housebuilding site near Scarborough . He said : “ It ’ s really satisfying to make sure the brickwork looks spot on . I also love the camaraderie with my workmates . The cold winter mornings came as a huge shock to the system , but now I ’ ve survived my first winter , I think I ’ ve acclimatised to the seasonality of the trade .”

Springvale Homes , established in 2007 , specialises in building individual homes , extensions , and alterations for clients in the local area , giving Joe a variety of opportunities to develop his skills . Last year , the company won a Build of Excellence Award from the Local Authority Building Control .

Managing director , Tom Hart said : “ Joe is doing very well . He ’ s made great progress .”