Leicester College shares a day in the life of an apprentice for National Apprenticeship Week 2022

Leicester College Chair of Governors shadows bricklaying apprentices and experience is streamed on social media

Leicester College shared the experiences of a day in the life of an apprentice during National Apprenticeship Week (7-13 February 2022). On Friday 11 February 2022, Jonathan Kerry, Chair of Governors at Leicester College, spent the day with three apprentice bricklayers: Sian Bradshaw, Alfie Busby, and Finley Gregory and their mentor Dave King. All are apprentices at Leicester College and are currently working at William Davis Homes, one of the most respected housing developers in the Midlands.

The College streamed the day on its social media channels to give potential students a real insight into what a day in the life of an apprentice is like. Jonathan witnessed Dave King and the three first-year bricklayers constructing/building both an internal wall with aggregate blocks and an external gable end wall with bricks. This wall was on the second floor of a Blyth house type.

William Davis Homes partners with Leicester College to provide apprenticeships through a range of courses including electrical installation, bricklaying, plumbing/heating and gas engineering, and carpentry.

The College is the largest apprenticeship training delivery organisation in Leicester and there are currently over 760 Leicester College students working with local businesses in apprentice roles. The apprenticeship courses help students to learn new skills and gain experience to succeed in their chosen career.

All apprenticeships involve 80 per cent of the student’s time spent at their workplace and types of study format include day release to attend college, block release at college and

study time away from their day-to-day role within the workplace. For more information on apprenticeships at Leicester College, visit leicestercollege.ac.uk/apprenticeships/

Jonathan Kerry, Leicester College Chair of Governors said:

“It was wonderful to be able to see some of our apprentices in their workplace and to hear first-hand how the partnership between the College and William Davis Homes is giving them such an excellent start to their careers in the construction industry. I was particularly encouraged to discover how many of the long-term employees on the site were themselves former apprentices and that many of them are now helping to mentor the next generation. I am very grateful to William Davis Homes who enabled my visit to take place and to the apprentices who were all so ready to share their thoughts and experiences.”

Tina Jivraj, Business Development Manager for Apprenticeships at Leicester College said:

“This is a great opportunity for our Chair of Governors and potential students to really see what apprentices get to experience and learn on an average day. As the culmination of our events and activities during National Apprenticeship Week, we hope that people now have a better view of how an apprenticeship can work for them.”

Gary Long, Apprentice Manager at William Davis Homes commented:

“It was a pleasure to welcome Leicester College’s Chair of Governors to our Ruddington development where he could see the progress these first-year apprentices are making in their chosen trade.

“It is great to see that apprentice bricklayers this young are producing brickwork to such a high quality. The brickwork they completed will stay on the completed plot, which is testament to themselves, their mentor and Leicester College where they spend their off-site learning.

“We have a long-standing and successful relationship with Leicester College with many of our apprentices across all trades undertaking their classroom-based learning there. Today gave us the chance to share with the college what they do outside the classroom when they join our apprenticeship scheme.”