Persimmon Homes is helping to shape the future of construction in Wales by collaborating with NPTC Group of Colleges.
Leading housebuilder Persimmon has partnered with the College to train students in modern construction techniques, helping to address the chronic skills shortage.
The builder then cherry-picks the best students to work on its building sites across south-west Wales.
Recently, more than a dozen students who recently graduated from NPTC Group of Colleges successfully attained an NVQ Level 2 accreditation in Timber Frame Construction.
Many of Persimmon’s 2018 intake took the next step in their careers, with 16 students achieving the Level 2 qualification, which requires them to safely handle and erect a number of different timber structures in the workplace.
The programme has been overseen by apprentice master, Kevin Rattenbury, who has helped the students upskill to their level 2 status.
Kevin said: “Considering these lads have come straight out of college, they have done extremely well. They have improved a great deal in the last 12 months and have had to do a lot to achieve the Level 2 status, including erecting timber frame panels, flooring and joisting.
“The students will benefit Persimmon Homes greatly. These guys have gained a lot of skills and can be great employees for the company in the future. They’ve worked alongside some seasoned professionals and you can clearly see they have picked up some valuable skills to achieve the qualification.
“I’m very happy with how they have all done, the programme is very beneficial for them, the community and Persimmon Homes”.
Mark Dacey CEO and Principal of NPTC Group of Colleges said: “We have been working in partnership with Persimmon Homes for three years helping to address the skills shortages within the construction industry. As we begin National Construction Week, we look to develop our partnership even further and are currently working together to help meet the new qualifications in Wales for construction and the Built environment.”
