Emanuel Whittaker apprentices shine at Skills Competition

Jun 13, 2013

A big congratulations to our talented apprentices Rachel Howarth and Matt Casey who won the recent Skills Demonstration Competition held at Salford City College.

External wall insulation trainees Rachael Howarth and Matt Casey, who both work for Emanuel Whittaker on our Salix Homes projects, went head-to-head with fellow apprentices from across all the Greater Manchester colleges in the Skills Demonstration Competition.

The event, hosted by Salford City College’s new FutureSkills Centre in association with Alumasc Exterior Building Products Ltd, saw competitors install key components of Alumasc’s external wall insulation system onto demonstration walls.

Rachel and Matt have worked on a range of Salix Homes properties in Salford including Floral Court, Black Friar Court and Stoney Knoll. The pair have both passed their NVQ Level Two in External Wall Insulation at Salford City College – a course which was developed in direct response to a skills shortage.

Colin Goodall, investment and delivery manager at Salix Homes, said: “This event really showed off the talent of the apprentices and the quality of training they have had in such excellent facilities.

“The skills displayed on the day by the apprentices were brilliant and Matt and Rachel did fantastically well to win. I’d like to congratulate all the apprentices that took part who are gaining real work experience improving homes in the city, securing the skills and qualifications that will be in demand with employers for years to come.

“The apprentices taking part in this scheme will be top of the league when it comes to securing a job in the future thanks to the hands-on experience and practical learning opportunities that we have been able to provide.”

Allan Milne, Head of Skills Academy for Construction & Built Environment at FutureSkills, said “Many congratulations to the competitors and winners of the event. The level of skill on show was exceptionally high and I know the assessors had a tough time choosing the winners. Many thanks also to Alumasc for their support throughout this project.”

Second prize was awarded to Sam Wardley, from Salford City College, and third prize went to Kyle Moore from The Manchester College.

Phillip Bull, of Alumasc, said “It was clear the competitors found the day really informative and applicable to daily on-site work conditions. The team from Alumasc was very happy to have been invited by Salford City College to be part of the event, and was pleased for the support of the Alumasc Approved Regional Contractors and local Housing Associations who visited on the day and passed on their knowledge to the competitors.”

Local apprentices on the road

Jun 13, 2013

Apprentices working for Oldham based construction and regeneration company Emanuel Whittaker have been given the chance to take subsidised driving lessons, thanks to an initiative from Procure Plus, the company’s procurement partner.

Lee Bradbury, Health, Safety & Environment Manager for Emanuel Whittaker said:  “Our trainees are not office based and are regularly asked to work on sites all across Greater Manchester. These are young men and women and chances are they have not yet had the opportunity, or the cash, to pass their driving tests.  This can have an adverse effect on the effectiveness of their training and their futures in the industry.

“Procure Plus has recognised the issue and is giving 20 top performing trainees a head start by providing up to 20 hours of driving lessons as well as paying for their theory and practical tests which is a saving of between £300 – £400.”

Despite the best efforts of Emanuel Whittaker to keep trainees in their local area, it is not always possible and so having the ability to drive is a real bonus for these young trainees.

Emanuel Whittaker apprentice external wall insulation operative, Rachel Howarth and bricklayer, Katie Lockwood were part of the first intake to benefit from the scheme and are now the proud owners of a driving licence.

Katie  said:  “The help from Procure Plus has really made a difference.  I live in Royton and have to work all over Manchester and so being able to drive will not only make getting to and from work considerably easier, but will also help my career as having my driving licence  is an obvious bonus.  It would have probably taken me a lot longer and cost me a lot more money to get my licence if I had not had this help from procure plus. I am very grateful to have been given this opportunity.”

Three more trainees based at Emanuel Whittaker have just been selected for the scheme. Matthew Casey, Rhys Jones and Bradley Healey will soon be starting their driving lessons and are hoping to secure their driving licences and get on the road before the end of the year.

 

Thanks to Procure Plus for getting apprentices on the move

Mar 27, 2013

Procurement partner, Procure Plus recognise the difficulties that many young trainees experience in the construction field. Construction is not a regular office based job, and many apprentices struggle to maintain their training when works on a particular project come to a close and they must move on to their next site.

Despite efforts by construction providers to retain people in their local area, its often difficult to get all staff to sites.  So the ability to drive is a real bonus for anyone considering a career in the construction industry.

Procure Plus have offered their construction partners the opportunity to give their top performing trainees a head start, by giving them 20 hours worth of driving lessons and paying for their theory and practical tests.

Last year, Emanuel Whittaker’s apprentice plasterer, Rachel Howarth and Bricklayer, Katie Lockwood were amongst the first intake to benefit from the scheme.  Both Katie and Rachel have recently passed their tests.

This year, another three Emanuel Whittaker apprentices are benefiting from the scheme, and looking forward to getting on the road. Matthew Casey, Rhys Jones and Bradley Healey will shorlty be starting on their driving courses and are hoping to secure their driving licences before the end of the year.  Good luck!

 

175 Years Supporting and Training Young People

Mar 13, 2013

Regeneration and construction company Emanuel Whittaker was established in 1837 and from the beginning, the founding fathers were keen to recruit young men to train as skilled tradesmen.  As a result, the company believe that since 1837 it has probably recruited and trained over 700 apprentices from its Oldham headquarters.

Last month, the Office for National Statistics revealed the biggest increase in youth unemployment since the start of 2012 which means 974,000 young people aged 16-24 are unemployed, up 11,000 on the previous quarter.  However, this figure would be considerably higher were it not for the growing popularity of apprenticeships. More than 500,000 people started an apprenticeship in the year from 2011 to 2012 – an increase of 14% – and while most businesses are only just starting to recognise their value, Emanuel Whittaker can boast 175 years experience of training and working with young people.

Clive Newton, Managing Director said: “We are fortunate to have retained many of the original records for the company and these show that even in its first year Emanuel Whittaker had four apprentices on its books.  It’s also fascinating to see that many of these remained with the company for a many years with several staying with us for the rest of their working life.”

Company records also show Emanuel Whittaker’s altruism elsewhere.  The company was determined to train and find employment for young men returning from the first and second world wars and developed a deliberate employment policy to recruit injured servicemen and teach them a trade.

Since the middle ages apprentices were a feature of many trades and how many there were often reflected the country’s economic success.  It was not until the 1900s that apprenticeships fell out of favour and this was largely due to the decline in manufacturing, although, there were still some companies like Emanuel Whittaker which continued to support the scheme.

Today Emanuel Whittaker continues its tradition of supporting, training and employing young men and in more recent years, women – to train as apprentices in the construction sector.

Director John Gallagher adds: “The 21^st century Emanuel Whittaker apprenticeships scheme is run in close partnership with Oldham College and this year we celebrate over 10 years of working together to deliver a programme of modern apprenticeships, work opportunities and work experience.”

In that time a total of over 40 Oldham College students have successfully completed apprenticeships with the company, including many who have won apprenticeship awards.

Samantha Barnes, Recruitment Co-ordinator – Construction at Oldham College, says, “We are delighted to have such a strong partnership with Emanuel Whittaker.  The effort it puts in to supporting apprenticeships and the opportunities it provides for trainees is exemplary.”

National Apprenticeship Week 2013 celebrates the positive impact of apprenticeships on individuals, businesses and the economy, and recognises that this skills-based learning programme is a highly valued process that helps both young people earn a living and gain a skill and provides employers with access to a pool of talented new recruits.

John Gallagher continues:  “Our young people should be in work, training or education – not unemployed. As a keen advocate of the modern apprenticeship scheme we would urge many more companies to sign up to it.

“As a company that can proudly boast supporting 700 apprentices over 175 years – we feel more than qualified in saying that apprenticeships do work.  Do your bit for youth unemployment and find out more during this National Apprenticeship Week.”

For more information go to www.apprenticeships.org.uk or call 08000 150 600.

Katie wins UCAS Merit Award

Feb 1, 2013

After being nominated by her Tutors at Oldham College, Emanuel Whittaker Bricklayer, Katie Lockwood won the UCAS Merit Award at the Oldham Apprentice Awards.

Katie was unable to attend the celebratory awards dinner held at Oldham’s Queen Elizabeth Hall on 31st January, so the college came to Katie to present her award.

Oldham College’s Angela Evans came to Emanuel Whittaker’s head office in Oldham where Katie was erecting a new disabled access to present her with her prize.