Balfour Beatty Apprenticeships launched in Liverpool

Posted on: 26th July 2010

Young people all over Merseyside are set to benefit from training and job opportunities thanks to a new apprenticeship scheme launched by Balfour Beatty.

Details of ‘Balfour Beatty Apprenticeships’ were unveiled at an event in the Halewood Centre for Learning last week.  Balfour Beatty Apprenticeships will be delivered in partnership with the North West Apprenticeship Company and will provide opportunities for young people to take up apprenticeships in a range of areas including construction trades, ICT and facilities management, within Balfour Beatty’s supply-chain companies.

The first of the two apprentices to join the scheme were formally signed up at the event.  Stephen Gilchrist (17) of Kirkby will be undertaking a General Construction Operations Apprenticeship and Ben Howarth (16) of Hunts Cross will be trained in bricklaying through Balfour Beatty Apprenticeships. 

Addressing an audience of education, business and regeneration chiefs Cllr Ronnie Round, leader of Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council, said:

“Through this innovative and far reaching programme Balfour Beatty will transform the futures of a great many young people. There is a huge amount of untapped talent within our communities and it is our collective duty to harness that potential. Apprenticeship schemes like this are vital to social and economic progress. This is literally a lifeline for many youngsters facing uncertainty in the current climate.”

Balfour Beatty Apprenticeships was developed to maximise opportunities for young people to benefit from the significant projects which Balfour Beatty are currently undertaking in the region.  Balfour Beatty Construction is completing work on the remaining £60million Knowsley schools programme and Liverpool’s Wave 2 schools programme of £56million.  Birse Civils is working with Liverpool City Council and its partners on Edge Lane West, the final phase of the Edge Lane Highways and Environmental Improvement Scheme, whilst Mansell will be working with the Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service on seven new community fire stations.

Chris Whitehead of Balfour Beatty Construction said:

“In the current climate employers may be reluctant to take on more staff and may not have the resources to implement full scale apprenticeships internally. We have worked closely with our supply network to create a scheme which takes the risk away from local companies. We are looking for motivated, hard working young people who are committed to a better future. Today we have seen evidence that there is no shortage of talent in Merseyside and we are looking forward to watching the progress of all our apprentices.”

Liverpool based regeneration consultancy firm Inner City Solutions were appointed to assist Balfour Beatty in setting up Balfour Beatty Apprenticeships which has already been trialled in Blackburn and Bolton, and following the launch in the Liverpool City Region, will be rolled out nationally.  Anyone over 16 who is interested in applying or would like further information should contact Roxana at Balfour Beatty Apprenticeships on 07540 920 280 or via email info@balfourbeattyapprenticeships.com