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Delighted in our new partnership with new northern construction group; Applebridge who we have teamed up with to train tomorrow’s workers by welcoming six new apprentices. It is the first exciting development of a partnership and provides ideal early career opportunities for our students.

George Oliver, Alex Davison, Noah Newcombe, Michael Gray, Luke Hinde and Flynn Goldsmith have started College as part of Applebridge’s drive to give teenage school leavers as well as those seeking a change of career a chance in the industry.

The Applebridge students will work towards a Level 3 Diploma in the Construction and the Built Environment, the equivalent to two A-levels, and will cover a variety of topics such as project management, health and safety, construction technology and building technology to enable them to become civil engineers, site managers and quantity surveyors.

Andy Ray, the Construction Director of Applebridge, said:

“We are delighted to welcome our latest cohort of trainees and apprentices into the business and look forward to seeing them develop over the coming months and years.

“They have all settled into working life and are already displaying promising signs.

“Our latest management training programme builds on the success of previous years’ schemes where we have been proud to see our apprentices and graduates rise to the challenge and become essential members of the team.”

“The relationship that we have with Hartlepool College will only add to the success that we have previously seen.

“Their Construction department has some terrific facilities and a wealth of industry knowledge which, coupled with the vocational skills, mentoring and on the job training that they will receive at Applebridge, will provide a fully rounded training experience for these young people.

“The ageing workforce and skills gap within construction is an ongoing concern and the responsibility to overcome this lies within the industry.

“At Applebridge we are committed to creating opportunities for youth and embrace our responsibility to educate the next generation.

“Through the hard work and dedication of all of our staff, we are privileged to be able to offer these opportunities in such uncertain times.”

Apprenticeships provide a boost to the economy at a time when Covid-19 has seen a significant drop in opportunities in that area, with the College training young people, adults and apprentices that are new to or developing within the construction industry.

Middlesbrough-based Applebridge has the knowledge that the apprentices are being educated at a Grade 1 apprenticeship rated College alongside being handed the perfect grounding on sites across the north with a fast-growing company.

Applebridge is made up of seven construction companies, ZTL, AD Plant, Applebridge Construction, Applebridge Building Services, Geocast, Retaining UK and Tarcon.

John Cartwright, the College’s Head of Construction and the Built Environment, said:

“The partnership with Applebridge will help to transform lives, as we look to get these apprentices on the road to construction management.

“It is a three-year course and this is the biggest employer partnership the College has developed within construction.

“This year we have seen a significant boom for apprenticeships at the college and one of the biggest growth areas has been construction, compared to nationally where construction apprenticeship growth has declined.”