Jones Bros celebrates National Apprenticeship Week by recruiting more apprentices21st Jan 2012

Civil engineering company Jones Bros – which has been at the forefront of quality apprentice training for more than 40 years – is celebrating National Apprenticeship Week 2012 by recruiting new trainees.

The company is set to take on a group of six apprentices in the coming weeks to undertake specialist training as plant operators.

It comes as Jones Bros promotes jobs in construction in high schools across north Wales.
Company trainer Ken Jones has been visiting schools to talk to 15 and 16-year-old pupils about the breadth of careers available in construction and routes into the jobs.

National Apprenticeship Week runs from 6-10 February and aims to highlight the talents and skills of apprentices and raise the profile amongst individuals, teachers, parents and the media.

The apprentices being recruited by Jones Bros will be the third group to have been taken on in the last 12 months, despite a tough economic climate, particularly within the construction industry.

Huw Jones, managing director of Jones Bros, said: “As a family firm, our apprenticeship scheme is highly-valued by the company, indeed we have been at the vanguard of quality training for decades.

“Because we have always invested in apprentice training, we benefit from a highly-trained, committed workforce, many of whom have been with the company for many years.
“Even during downturns in the economy, including the most recent, we have continued to invest in our apprenticeship programmes because they are very important to us and this commitment pays dividends.”

The youngsters being recruited in the coming weeks will earn a wage from the outset as employees of Jones Bros.

They will undertake a 12-week course before going out to one of the company’s many sites across the UK to hone their skills further, under close supervision. This could include working in wind and hydro renewable energy projects, developing highways, waste management facilities, flood protection and building infrastructure.

The apprentices will be the latest intake to benefit from Jones Bros recently revamped independent training scheme.

Apprentices now complete their course at the company’s purpose-designed training centre next to its Ruthin headquarters, rather than having to travel to a national training college in Norfolk.

The young apprentices also undergo training at Jones Bros’ 100-acre quarry site at the nearby Horseshoe Pass in Llangollen. There they learn how to operate the larger plant and machinery before sitting a series of verbal and practical exams.

Jones Bros trainees undergo Foundation Modern Apprenticeships working towards their NVQ Level 2. The company runs its scheme through Construction Skills Wales Training manager Guy Brookes said: “We had two intakes of apprentices last year and have been really impressed by them and the high quality of their work. I think some of the apprentices will do really well within our company and they will be given lots of opportunities to progress.

“We are looking forward to welcoming our next intake.”

Jones Bros apprenticeship scheme is also open to employees of other companies, and in many cases, grant-aided assistance is available.

As well as construction skills, specialised courses are available in everything from safety awareness to emergency first aid.