Top five housebuilder Linden Homes is helping to answer the national call for thousands of new trainees to fill the urgent skills gap in the construction sector.
A fresh cohort of nearly a dozen apprentices and young starters – aged from 16-22 – has recently been taken on across the award-winning company’s Thames Valley region, which is building much-needed homes in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire.
They were welcomed on board at a special gathering at one of Linden Homes’ latest developments: The Pitchings, a high quality collection of 19 two, three, four and five-bedroom homes approximately one mile from the centre of the village of Steventon.
Seven apprentices have been taken on in partnership with Conlon Construction, while Linden Homes has brought in four more young workers for its back office functions.
Alex Lakin (22), a sales graduate, said: “The house building industry is something I have been interested in since I was a child and working with Linden Homes has enabled me to be part of the moving process to see someone move into their dream home.”
Dominic Fiore (17), from Swindon, is a Linden Homes management trainee. He is working to obtain a BTEC in Construction and The Built Environment at Gloucester College as part of the academy scheme run by Linden Homes’ parent company, Galliford Try.
He said: “Projects that Linden Homes take on and develop are instantly recognisable because of the unique aesthetics the company uses. This is what creates the Linden Way. For a young apprentice looking to achieve a stable career in the construction industry, Linden Homes is the best place to be.”
The latest wave of recruitment coincides with a joint report published recently by the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry and KPMG warning of a “major skills crisis” in the construction industry.
It said a 51 per cent increase in training provision would be required to meet demand for skilled labour between 2014 and 2017 to plug a gap of nearly 15,000 people.
Linden Homes Thames Valley managing director Peter Carpinelli said: “At Linden Homes we’re well aware of the skills gap that is facing the industry and the impact it could have on our mission to deliver much-needed housing to the UK.
“We know that we have to do our bit as a company towards bringing on the next generation. That’s why it was so good to welcome all these apprentices and trainees today. They are all eager to learn, ambitious and will no doubt be the high flyers of tomorrow.”
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For further press information, contact Claire Oakley or Claire Cathersides at Remarkable Content on 01962 893893.
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