Scheme success in the run up to Apprenticeship Week

Published 30 January 2012

The Vale of Glamorgan Council is celebrating the success of its apprenticeship scheme as one of its star recruits prepares to qualify.

As preparations continue for this year’s National Apprenticeship Week, from February 6 to 10, the Vale council is keen to show its success in preparing young people for work in carpentry, plumbing, electrical, bricklaying mechanics and electrical work.

The council runs a successful Craft Apprenticeship scheme in partnership with Cardiff & Vale College and Careers Wales, which has so far helped 16 young people into trades.

There is also a successful Foundation Modern Apprentice scheme for administrative apprentices, which this year has seen 18 people go through its books. Five are still being trained by the council, eight have secured employment elsewhere and two left to go into full time education.

The building services department has been recruiting apprentices since 2004, and offers two training placements through the grant-funded Modern Apprenticeship Scheme.

Its purpose is to provide an opportunity for prospective craft apprentices from the Vale of Glamorgan who have completed their foundation year learning about a trade at a Vale-based college.

The best two candidates are interviewed and taken on by the Vale of Glamorgan Council as apprentices, in a scheme run by the Vale of Glamorgan Training Association.

The Vale of Glamorgan Council currently has three apprentices; a carpenter, electrician and plumber.

Sophie  Knight, the a female apprentice plumber has successfully been training with private contractors and partners to gain specialist gas installation and servicing experience as part of her NVQ portfolio.

The Vale of Glamorgan Council also works closely with The Prince’s Trust and Careers Wales in providing work experience placements, some of which have resulted in students attending local colleges.

Leader of the council and cabinet member for finance, ICT and property, Gordon Kemp, said: “We are keen to help as many young people as possible in getting into the working world.

“Sophie is one of the many success stories to have come under the stewardship of the Vale of Glamorgan Council and its partners and we wish her and all our other protégées every success in the future in gaining employment or training.”

An apprentice's story:

Ever since she was a little girl, Sophie Knight wanted to be a plumber just like her grandfather.

The 20-year-old, from Dinas Powys, is just about to achieve her lifetime ambition, by passing a three-year Modern Apprenticeship course.

Sophie was one of only two young people to be taken on annually by the Vale of Glamorgan Council, to give opportunities to local young people.

She was plucked from her pre apprenticeship engineering course at the Cardiff & Vale College to be taken on by the Vale of Glamorgan Council.

She is about to complete her NVQ level 3 in plumbing, meaning she is qualified to go into the workplace.

Sophie said: “My Gramps made me want to be a plumber.

“When he passed away seven years ago, I thought I would go for it.

“He was an amazing man. I wanted to follow him in every way.

“He always told me when I was little that I should do plumbing; that it was the best job ever.

“As soon as I got on the course, I was able to use his tools, which my nan had put by for me.”

Sophie’s grandfather, Colin Reynolds worked as a plumber for the Vale council for many years and was well remembered by his colleagues, one of who mentored Sophie.

She added: “I was put out with Roger Perry, who worked with my Grampy. He used to tell me stories about him. It’s felt as though he was still around.”

As part of her training, Sophie has been working with private contractor, Warm Plan, to broaden her skills and experience in gas installation.

Although the course has been tough, Sophie said she wouldn’t have changed her choice for the world.

“Level three has been tough,” she said. “You can’t prepare for the amount of work there is. With on-the-job training you get to see everything.

“But it’s thanks to my tutors that I’ve been able to finish college. If you don’t understand anything, they will take time out of their day to help.”