New intake of ‘Re-Making Leeds’ apprentice trainees all set to make their mark

An innovative Leeds City Council apprenticeship trainee programme offering young people the opportunity to learn a range of heritage construction skills has welcomed its new intake this year.

As part of ‘Re-Making Leeds’, 12 trainees will have the chance from this month until August 2016 to take part in work-based training including; brick work, carpentry and joinery, stonemasonry, painting and decorating, lime mortar plastering and rendering, wall and floor tiling and specialist lead work. Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and delivered by the council in partnership with the Leeds College of Building and York College, the apprentices will learn, hone their skills and work towards qualifications under the watchful eye of professionals from a range of employers as they help maintain, repair and refurbish a range of pre-1919 residential, commercial and institutional properties. Included in the programme will be the historic Temple Newsam Estate and other properties in Yorkshire and throughout the UK.

Designed to ensure that there will be a new generation of experts available to work in this specialist field in the future, Re-Making Leeds which is now in its second year, is also offering trained professionals the chance to reskill in heritage construction and short training courses to up-skill employees in small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

On hand to greet the new apprentices and representatives of some of the employers involved in Re-Making Leeds, was Leeds City Council’s executive member for employment, enterprise and opportunity, Councillor Mohammed Rafique.

To find out more about how to apply for a place on Re-Making Leeds, or how to take on an apprentice through the scheme, please see: http://www.leeds.gov.uk/residents/Pages/Re-Making-Leeds.aspx

Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council’s executive member for employment, enterprise and opportunity said:

“It was fantastic to be able to meet the new apprentice trainees featuring in this year’s Re-Making Leeds Programme, which will offer high-quality skilled training in a variety of heritage construction areas. Creating apprenticeships and other opportunities for young people to learn new skills remains an absolutely priority for the council as part of our continued commitment to be a compassionate city.

“We identified that a gap was beginning to appear in the number of people who have the skills to maintain, repair and refurbish pre-1919 properties in residential in Leeds, and through this project, I am looking forward to seeing the next generation of professionals being created.

“I would also like to offer a big thank you to our partners Leeds College of Building and York College, along with the many employers, who are playing a massive part in Re-Making Leeds, which has already delivered some excellent results.”

Notes to editors:

Employers featuring in this year’s programme include: Leeds City Council’s parks and countryside team, AB Heritage Roofing, Aura Conservation Ltd, Hesp Jones & Co, LCC Restorations Ltd, Ornate Interiors, Ratcliffe Building & Maintenance and Ventrolla.

For media enquiries, please contact;

Colin Dickinson, Leeds City Council press office (0113) 39 51578

Email: colin.dickinson@leeds.gov.uk