Member Article

Leeds College of Building Trains More Than 50 Apprentices For BAM Nuttall

Leeds College of Building is now training more than 50 apprentices on behalf of leading Civil Engineering giant BAM Nuttall after welcoming 22 new budding engineers through its doors, to coincide with National Apprenticeship Week.

These latest apprentices follow another group of BAM Nuttall recruits who enrolled on Leeds College of Building’s higher level Civil Engineering and Quantity Surveying courses last October.

National Apprenticeship Week runs from 5th to 9th March 2018 and celebrates how apprenticeships benefit people, businesses, communities and the economy. The week aims to encourage people to choose apprenticeships as a fast-track to both a great career and business growth.

BAM Nuttall employs more than 5,000 people in the UK and has created one of the most successful in-house apprenticeship programmes in the UK. Each year the company recruits between 17 to 36 new apprentices onto its four-year programme. Successful applicants, who can be based throughout the UK, spend their first two years as Apprentices, before becoming Trainees for two years, and then progressing to Assistant Engineers or Assistant Quantity Surveyors.

During this time, they can work on many of the UK’s largest construction and infrastructure projects such as Hinkley Point C, which is the first in a new generation of nuclear power stations, or the extension of London City Airport, as well as rail, highways and tunnelling projects. The company also recently completed work on a £50 million flood alleviation scheme in Leeds which opened last October and uses moveable weir technology – a first for flood risk reduction in the UK.

However, competition for places on the apprenticeship programme is extremely competitive with more than 600 applications every year. Gerry O’ Rourke is BAM Nuttall’s Senior Early Careers Advisor, responsible for overseeing apprentice recruitment through to their ongoing development.

He says: “We are always inundated with applications so it’s a significant process to select the best candidates. We start with GCSE results and are generally looking for A or B grades in maths and English. Science is also useful, particularly if an applicant has a good grade in physics. Most importantly though, we need to know applicants are passionate about pursuing an engineering career. When we ask why they want to come and work for BAM Nuttall, we need to hear a compelling answer.

“All our Apprentices benefit from highly structured on-site experience on some of the UK’s most advanced and innovative construction projects. It’s vitally important that we complement this with a high level of training, and this is where Leeds College of Building really adds value. The College has an unrivalled reputation in the construction sector and we’ve worked closely with them to select the most relevant courses and units. Even though our relationship with Leeds College of Building is only in its second year, we’re already feeling the benefits of it, due to the high standard of training our Apprentices are receiving.”

Gerry adds: “We invest heavily in training and development, meaning only the best, highly motivated individuals will work for our customers. Our apprenticeship programme is a vital part of this and those completing it will enjoy successful careers that offer lots of choices in relation to progression routes they can take. This is also one of the greatest aspects of apprenticeships in general, because they offer a solid foundation for any career. National Apprenticeship Week serves to highlight this, as well as the advantages to business, which will always benefit from highly-qualified individuals who are trained and fully immersed in the culture of the BAM Nuttall.”

Chris Tunningley from Leeds College of Building, says: “BAM Nuttall is one of the leading names in the UK’s construction industry so it’s fantastic to welcome another group of apprentices. Training these individuals, who will ultimately go on to be involved with high-profile projects throughout the UK and beyond, is a huge privilege and is testament to the quality training we are renowned for.

“These apprentices are also opening so many doors for themselves as they will be able to join the Institution of Civil Engineers or the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineers Surveyors and can also choose to complete further, degree level qualifications, which will ultimately give them an endless range of options and career progression.”

Leeds College of Building currently offers a comprehensive range of courses related to construction and the built environment, including apprenticeships, further and higher education, and business training.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Steven Wright .