To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, Bellway is pleased to announce the results of our very own Apprentice of the Year awards.
We are supporting the national campaign, which runs from Monday 6 to Sunday 12 February, by recognising the achievements of our current cohort of apprentices.
Architectural apprentice Harvey Barnes, from Leicester, is Bellway’s Apprentice of the Year for 2023. Trainee quantity surveyor Louise Atkin, from Newcastle, is the runner-up, while apprentice bricklayer Eddie Hull, from Tamworth, is highly commended in third place.
Harvey, 21, began his apprenticeship as a Trainee Architectural Technician with Bellway East Midlands, based at the Meridian Business Park in Leicester, nearly two years after quitting his university course.
He said: “Bellway took a huge chance on me, but they looked at the work I had done on my course, and they gave me a chance. It’s the best thing that’s happened in my life. Doing an apprenticeship with Bellway has given me opportunities that just wouldn’t be available at a university.”
Louise, 20, who is based at Bellway’s North East divisional HQ in Gateshead, joined Bellway straight from school and has never looked back.
She said: “Going to university did not appeal to me. I wanted a job where I could earn a wage while I was being trained at the same time. I think this apprenticeship gives me a jump start in my career and has given me a defined progression path in the industry.”
Eddie, 19, discovered a passion for construction after studying bricklaying at college and wanted to forge a career in the industry. He is currently working at Bellway’s Hatton Court development in the Derbyshire village of Hatton after joining the company’s apprenticeship programme in May 2021.
He said: “I’ve been working in the job for almost two years now. It has gone by so fast but I’ve learnt a great deal. I am involved in each process from the plot foundations right up to a completed property. I’m looking forward to receiving my qualification and working as a fully qualified bricklayer for Bellway.”
As an employer of choice, Bellway is proud to run an apprenticeship scheme which gives not only students and young people a chance to begin their working life with Bellway but also provides opportunities to more experienced workers looking for a change in career.
At Bellway, we are always searching for the best talent and hire people according to their abilities regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity or background. This helps to creates a safe, diverse and inclusive environment in which employees are encouraged to fulfil their potential.
As an active member of ‘The 5% Club’, we are committed to having at least five per cent of our workforce employed in ‘earn and learn’ roles, including apprenticeships, student placements, and graduate roles.
Last year Bellway received a record number of applications for our in-house apprenticeship scheme, with more than 3,000 applicants. The 57 successful candidates started their new careers with us in September.
The company took on new recruits for both entry-level and higher-level apprenticeships in a range of disciplines including construction and trades, technical and commercial, and business and finance.
Applications are now open for next year’s cohort of apprentices. To find out more about the apprenticeships available here.
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