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Historic bricks for young Apprentices
Construction Apprentices from the Isle of Wight are all set to have a lesson in historic brickwork on Monday 9 June, when they will attend a Learning and Skills Council (LSC) ‘expert class’ run by the Hampshire Buildings Preservation Trust at Bursledon Brickworks in Southampton.
Offered as part of the LSC’s ‘From Competence to Excellence’ programme, the Brickwork repairs class will give the young Apprentices skills that are not taught on construction courses in college but which are vital for maintenance of historic buildings.
Over 5,000 Apprentices have attended LSC expert classes throughout the South East in the past six months. They are designed to give the cream of the crop of this year’s Apprentices the chance to develop advanced skills.
Ray Moseley who runs the course, says: “You could be forgiven for thinking that historic brickwork is something only for National Trust properties, but in fact there are over 484,000 listed buildings in England alone. £3.5 billion is spent on conservation & restoration of historic buildings each year and £1.7 billion of this is on listed buildings.Repairs to these buildings require specialist techniques and at the moment there is a real and worrying shortage of skilled builders with the right knowledge.”
The Apprentices will learn about this need and – crucially - come away with practical experience of using lime mortars for re-pointing and brick replacement.
Ray continues: “The Isle of Wight is trying to employ local tradesmen for its work on historic buildings, but at the moment, there are too few with the relevant knowledge and skills. This course will help towards addressing that gap.”
Stephen Gardner, Director of Apprenticeships at the LSC said: “The LSC believes that this programme will help Apprentices and vocational learners to take their skills to world-class levels to move from being competent to excellent. The classes also allow trainers to develop better links with employers and really promote expert skills across a range of industries.”
There are currently 240,000 Apprentices working in over 130,000 organisations in England alone, across 80 different sectors of industry. Apprenticeships are also increasingly being recognised and used as a pathway to university, often part time and with financial support from their employer whilst they continue to work.
The From Competence to Excellence programme is a stepping stone for participants, helping them move from learners to experts. With the UK WorldSkills event on the horizon, some of them may even become future entrants to the UK WorldSkills Event in London in October 2011.
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Notes to editors:
Journalists are welcome to attend and try their hand at historic brickworks. To attend, please call Gail Buckle at BOTTLE PR on 01865 882988.
All requests for interviews with Ray Moseley to Gail.
If you cannot attend, but would like images from the day, please email Carole
on
About From Competence to Excellence
From Competence to Excellence is funded by the LSC and supported by UK Skills. Deloitte MCS Limited has been appointed by the LSC to co-ordinate the delivery of the expert classes and to source the employers and training providers involved.
www.fcte.co.uk
About
Learning and Skills Council:
The LSC exists to make England better skilled and more competitive. It is responsible for ensuring the availability of high-quality education and training for everyone. It has a single goal: to improve the skills of England’s young people and adults to world class standards. Its vision is that young people and adults in England have knowledge and skills matching the best in the world and are part of a truly competitive workforce. The LSC works nationally, regionally and locally to deliver this ambition on behalf of learners and employers.
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