THREE young apprentices are set to become skilled craftsmen thanks to local company Roundhouse and a grant from Malvern Hills District Council.
Josh Hocking, 20, from Pickersleigh, has just completed his apprenticeship with the award-winning luxury kitchen designer and is now working as a qualified cabinet maker.
Zak Taylor and Nathan Dobbins, both 19, will shortly be completing their apprenticeship and hope to follow in Josh’s footsteps.
All three boys will be honing their skills under the guidance of the most experienced cabinet makers on the Roundhouse team at the factory in Spring Lane.
The trio were taken on with the support of the council’s Malvern Hills Apprenticeship Grant which offers £1,000 towards the cost of training an apprentice to businesses in key sectors, including advanced manufacturing.
Simon Smith, production manager at Roundhouse, said: “This is a family company and those values translate into our approach to workforce development.
“No company can guarantee a job for life, but we invest in our young people so that they have a solid crafts foundation to build their career on.
“It’s not just good for our company, it’s good for the future of our industry and UK Plc.”
This week marks the tenth anniversary of National Apprenticeship Week which aims to shine a light on the benefits to businesses and young people of investing in apprentices to produce the skilled workforce of tomorrow.
More than 500 people started an apprenticeship across the district last year and Malvern Hills District Council is committed to playing its part in increasing that number further through its five year plan.
The Government has signalled its intent to boost skills training through the introduction of an Apprenticeship Levy, which comes into force from April 2017.
The levy will be paid by all UK employers with a paybill of more than £3 million and money raised will be ploughed back into generating new apprenticeships.
Coun Phil Grove, leader of Malvern Hills District Council, added: “As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of National Apprenticeship week, it is clear that apprenticeships are here to stay.
“We are privileged to have employers like Roundhouse in the district that are investing in our young people.
“We share that commitment through our five year plan, and the Malvern Hills Apprenticeship Grant is just one of the ways in which we are delivering against that commitment.”
To find out more about apprenticeships, including the new Apprenticeship Levy, funding and grants contact Worcestershire Apprenticeships by emailing [email protected] or visit http://worcsapprenticeships.org.uk/national-apprenticeship-week/.
