Leading construction company Bateman Groundworks is looking for 12 new apprentices to join its growing workforce on sites across East Anglia.
Apprentices are the key to future growth of one of the UK’s most dynamic small businesses and it invests heavily in training to secure a skilled staff for decades to come.
The company, based at Little Plumstead, near Norwich, provides groundworks and civil engineering for blue chip house building companies across East Anglia. It currently employs more than 160 people, a growth of more than 30 from the start of the year, with a target workforce of 174 by the end of the year.
Richard Bateman, managing director, said apprentices taken on now would help to achieve desired growth beyond 2020.
The two-year apprenticeships will start in September.
Every apprentice spends four-week blocks of residential training at the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) centre at Bircham Newton, interspersed with on-site training.
“The apprenticeship scheme, which has been tailored specifically for our needs, works extremely well for us and will give us the skilled workforce we need for the future”.
“We prefer our apprentices to have completed a two-year college course in a construction or engineering related qualification or to have a keen interest in construction before they join us.”
Bateman Groundworks, which marks its 20th anniversary in September, offers a clear career path for its apprentices.
The company’s pipeline of work includes 10-year developments. Its clients include large housebuilder clients Bovis Homes, Taylor Wimpey and Persimmon Homes as well as regional developers like Hopkins Homes and Cripps Development.
The estimated 10,000 new homes along Norwich’s £178m Northern Distributor Road (NDR) are future targets.
“We struggle to recruit skilled staff. We moved to Little Plumstead to make the company more attractive to potential employees. Being closer to Norwich widens the pool for a qualified workforce.”
This year, the company celebrated its first apprentice to be promoted through all 11 staff levels to become a site manager, now in charge of 12 people on site for a prime residential development in Norfolk.
Sam Allen is now managing a site at Round House Park, Cringleford, for Bovis Homes eight years after he started his first job there on its first phase after completing his apprenticeship.
The newest apprentice, Jack Thurbon, is learning slabbing, excavations, ledges, concrete and other skills after trying several courses at sixth form.
“I preferred the practical side of the work and enjoy being outside. The apprenticeship has made me more confident and skilled, and I am seeing more where my career can go.”
“I would like to progress and make my way up the ladder here and move into the engineering side.”
Bateman Groundworks teams are first on site to lay the foundations and prepare the site for the development.
To apply, visit www.batemangroundworks.co.uk