Jones Bros urge other firms to share passion for apprenticeships27th Feb 2015

A family-run company with a long history of providing career opportunities to young people is urging other companies to recruit apprentices ahead of National Apprenticeship Week 2015.

Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK has recruited dozens of young people over several decades – employing 35 apprentices since 2010, despite the economic downturn.

This commitment to apprentices has lead to a skilled and committed workforce as Jones Bros faces a busy order book for 2015/16, bucking a trend highlighted by Manpower which recently commented that many construction firms were experiencing skills and staff shortages because they had failed to invest in apprentices during the downturn.

A significant number of Jones Bros apprentices are now working in more senior roles on high-profile projects across the UK, including highways, coastal, renewables and waste remediation schemes.

Huw Jones, managing director of North Wales-based Jones Bros, which has just recruited a further six apprentices, said: “Our belief in the importance of training the next generation of construction workers and engineers has paid dividends for our company as we undertake more and more major projects across the UK.

“We are well placed to carry out large schemes because, unlike some other companies, we continued to recruit and invest in our trainees during the recession. Many of our employees have been with the company for a considerable number of years, frequently working alongside their own family members.

“We believe in our apprentices and are committed to ensuring that the next generation of construction workers and engineers are skilled workers as this also has a positive effect on communities. We would urge other small and medium-sized companies to follow our lead open their doors to apprentices to help the economy to grow.”

National Apprenticeship Week 2015, which runs from 9-13 March, aims to highlight how apprenticeships are thriving and the positive impact that they have on individuals, business and the wider economy.

As part of its commitment to apprentices Jones Bros established a training centre during the 1980’s to ensure its workforce was trained to a high standard. Since that time it has developed into a facility that employs two full time plant trainers and a training co-ordinator, with access to a range of specialist training providers.

In 2014 Jones Bros won the CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) ‘Outstanding Training Partner Award’ at the Pride of Construction Awards and the CITB “Large Apprentice Employer of The Year Award (Wales)” at the Apprenticeship Awards.

This year it has been named on the shortlist in the Training Excellence category for the Construction News Specialists Awards 2015.

Jones Bros trainees undergo Foundation Modern Apprenticeships working towards their NVQ Level 2. The company runs its scheme through Construction Skills Wales and advertises the vacancies on its website, in the local press and through Careers Wales.

Founded in the 1950s, Jones Bros employs approximately 300 people. It operates across the UK in sectors including construction of waste management facilities, highways and renewable energy projects such as wind farms.