Our sister company ABC (Oxford) Limited – otherwise known as the Apprentice Building Company – has expanded its number of construction Apprentices to 13 following the awarding of a grant from Cherwell District Council and Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP) to form a dedicated Apprentice construction team to work on Cherwell’s award-winning Build!® programme and other local developments.
The funding allows eight apprentices aged 16-23 to learn either Brickwork or Site Carpentry and undertake their onsite training across Banbury and Bicester, including Cherwell’s various Build!® sites. Seven of the team have been recruited and have been on site at the Newton Close development in Bicester since early December.
Cllr Norman Bolster, lead member for estates and economy, said: “This funding was all about being proactive in creating opportunities for young people to boost their employability through the ‘earn while you learn’ apprenticeship initiative. We invited organisations to apply for the funding to act as the employer for these apprentices and are delighted to announce ABC (Oxford) Limited has been successful and will deliver the project on a not-for-profit basis.
“The fact that ABC (Oxford) has moved quickly to establish the team and get the apprentices on site is a great boost for the Build!® project. Furthermore, the recent announcement that Bicester is to become a Garden Town with 13,000 new homes further emphasises the need to create a skilled local workforce through initiatives such as apprenticeships.”
In considering the applicants, Cherwell acknowledged that ABC (Oxford) Limited has knowledge of its Build! project as an existing contractor and will deliver the project on a not-for-profit basis. As a CITB-registered organisation, ABC (Oxford) Ltd is able to attract employer grants that will contribute to the overall operating costs, meaning a larger number of apprentice places can be created. The grant funding will cover all of the apprentices’ employment costs including salary, supervision, management and personal protective equipment.
Among those taking part is 17-year-old Robert Hill from Eynsham who said: “I left school with no qualifications so when the opportunity came up to be a part of this, I couldn’t believe it! It’s been an amazing first week on site and I’ve learned so much more already than I would do in a classroom every day.” Robert is pictured below with the other six new apprentices, and the team is being supported by ACE Training tutors Keith Smith and Tim Ousley. There are also some action shots of the lads getting stuck in!!
There is one final space available on the Apprentice team and anyone interested should get in touch with adam@abcoxford.co.uk or on 07973539408. A new Twitter account has been set up to publicise their activity and progress on site @abcoxfordltd
The Build!® project is a Cherwell initiative which involves Cherwell District Council delivering affordable properties for residents, who then undertake a schedule of internal works themselves in exchange for a cheaper rental or purchase price. For more information visit or call 01295 221615.
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